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THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF 


Demons & 
Demonology 


ROSEMARY ELLEN GUILEY 


THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF 
Demons and 
Demonology 


Also by Rosemary Ellen Guiley 


The Encyclopedia of Angels, Second Edition 
The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits, Third Edition 
The Encyclopedia of Magic and Alchemy 
The Encyclopedia of Saints 


The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves, 
and Other Monsters 


The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft 
and Wicca, Third Edition 


THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF 
Demons and 
Demonology 


Rosemary Ellen Guiley 


FOREWORD BY JOHN ZAFFIS 


(Facts On File 
An imprint of Infobase Publishing 


The Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology 
Copyright © 2009 by Visionary Living, Inc. 


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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data 


Guiley, Rosemary. 
The encyclopedia of demons and demonology / Rosemary Ellen Guiley ; foreword by John Zaffis. 
p. cm. 
Includes bibliographical references and index. 
ISBN-13: 978-0-8160-7314-6 (hardcover : alk. paper) 
ISBN-10: 0-8160-7314-7 (hardcover : alk. paper) 

1. Demonology—Encyclopedias. I. Title. 
BF1503.G85 2009 

133.4'203—dc22 2008052488 


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For John Zaffis 
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a 


t- CONTENTS 4 


FOREWORD ix 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xi 


INTRODUCTION xiii 
ENTRIES A-Z 1 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 280 


INDEX 284 


t FOREWORD 4 


I have spent more than 30 years dealing with the shadow 
side of the paranormal, including negative hauntings and 
demonic cases. I never actually intended to become so 
deeply involved, but as most of us in this field are, I was 
drawn in and called to it. 

The first sign of calling came in my teens. I was about 
15 years old when I awoke one night and saw my first ap- 
parition, my deceased grandfather standing at the foot of 
my bed. Actually, I did not know him; he had died when 
I was three years old. But my mother verified my descrip- 
tion of him. 

Perhaps you could say my calling was “in the blood,” 
as my mother was a twin, and twins have been known 
to be more psychically sensitive than the average person. 
Plus, I was related by blood to one of the most prominent 
investigators of the demonic: Ed Warren, my mother’s 
twin brother and my uncle. Ed and his wife, Lorraine 
Warren, a clairvoyant, became household names in the 
paranormal and were in media headlines on some of the 
most famous modern cases on record. Ed has passed on 
now, and Lorraine still works in the field. 

As a kid I was always fascinated by the work Ed and 
Lorraine did in the paranormal. I wanted to be part of 
it too. But Ed was a stickler for the proper education. 
He refused to allow me to go along on cases before I 
turned 18, and he spent a lot of time transmitting his 
knowledge to me. I was impatient back then, but Ed, in 
his wisdom, knew what he was doing. Dealing with the 
paranormal, especially the dark side, is not child’s play 
and requires grounding, education, and discernment. I 


had to have a base in all of those in order to be properly 
prepared. 

I learned a great deal from my uncle and aunt and 
eventually went out on my own. I have been privileged to 
work with some of the best names in the field, both lay- 
persons, like me, and clergy. I have worked on more than 
7,000 cases: Many of them have had natural explanations 
(that is, not paranormal or demonic), and many others 
have been resolved with intervention. A few of them have 
been full-blown demonic infestations and possessions. I 
do not perform exorcisms—that is a role for clergy—but 
I have assisted at dozens of these rites. 

One of the demonic cases brought me face to face with 
genuine evil: a reptile-like entity that manifested in an 
infested home, a former funeral parlor in Southington, 
Connecticut, and came at me down a staircase. The in- 
tensity of the evil was astonishing. I had never before ex- 
perienced anything like it, and I have to admit, I was so 
shaken that it was several days before I could return to 
the case. I know from my own experience on this case 
and others that evil is real, the demonic exists, and dark 
forces are at work in the world. 

As Rosemary Ellen Guiley states in her introduction 
to this book, the demonic—always fascinating—has ac- 
quired a media glamour that has encouraged people to 
want to become involved as “demonologists.” Many of 
them jump in not properly prepared, not having much 
understanding of what they are dealing with or the rami- 
fications and consequences of this kind of work. The 
work is never easy, and there is the constant danger of 


x The Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology 


repercussions. The forces of evil know who you are and 
will try to prevent you from interfering in their activi- 
ties. You, your home, your family, and your friends all 
become targets. 

I mentioned earlier the importance of education, how 
Ed did his best to make sure I was armed with informa- 
tion, knowledge, and insight in addition to experience. If 
I had had a book like The Encyclopedia of Demons and De- 
monology when I was getting started, I guarantee you that 
it would have been well thumbed in a hurry. Rosemary 
Ellen Guiley has gained a well-earned reputation in the 
paranormal for her thorough research and investigation. 
I have all of her encyclopedias, refer to them frequently, 
and recommend them to others. I welcome the addition 
of this one to my set, and I can tell you that it will be one 
of my most valuable resources. 

I met Rosemary several years ago at a conference in 
New Jersey hosted by LAura Hladik, founder of the New 
Jersey Ghost Hunters Society. I was already quite familiar 
with her work. We became good friends and colleagues, 
assisting each other in our work in whatever ways pos- 
sible and collaborating on projects. We sometimes have 


different viewpoints, which add dimension to the overall 
picture. 

Beyond paranormal investigation, there is a need for 
the average person to become more informed about the 
demonic. As a whole we are undereducated on the topic. 
Many of us get our ideas from Hollywood, maybe com- 
bined with a few religious teachings. Rosemary points 
out that many people ignore the topic altogether, hop- 
ing that the demonic will just “go away.” I assure you, 
the forces of evil have no intention of disappearing. In 
fact, we in the field are seeing an increase in intensity 
and frequency of activity. That is why education is so 
important. The Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology 
covers an amazing amount of material and from differ- 
ent perspectives. That is one of the many things I ap- 
preciate so much about Rosemary’s work: She looks at 
everything from different angles. Whether you are seri- 
ous about paranormal investigation or are a casual reader 
intrigued by a fascinating subject, this book will broaden 
your knowledge. Everyone who picks up this book will 
learn something new. 


—John Zaffis 


t ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 4 


I am deeply indebted to John Zaffis and Adam Blai, who 
have shared their knowledge and expertise on demons 
and demonology with me. I am also indebted to Philip 
J. Imbrogno, for sharing his expertise on djinn. Thanks 


xi 


also go to the very talented Richard Cook and Scott 
Brents for creating some original artwork in this book 
and especially for putting faces on some most unusual 
demons. 


t INTRODUCTION ‘4 


Dealing with evil has occupied center stage in human af- 
fairs since our earliest times. Destruction, chaos, decay, 
and the ultimate darkness of death have often overshad- 
owed the presence of goodness and light. Human beings 
have dealt with evil in three principal ways: by meeting it 
head on in battle, by warding it off before it strikes, and 
by trying to avoid it altogether through denial. 

The how and why of evil have been debated and dis- 
cussed for centuries in religion, folklore, philosophy, art, 
literature, and pop culture, all of which attempt to explain 
why bad things happen, especially to good people. When 
evil strikes the wicked, we see it as the deserved conse- 
quence of evildoing. When evil strikes the righteous, we 
look for satisfactory explanations, often in vain. Everyone 
feels the touch of evil at some point in life, regardless of 
his or her moral striving. 

In myth, religion, and folklore the forces of both good 
and evil are personified. In the pantheons of deities there 
are gods and goddesses of benevolence and malevolence, 
and though some are mostly evil, they are seldom com- 
pletely evil. Their job is to tear things down via disaster, 
ruination, disease, illness, and death. They are an essen- 
tial part of the eternal cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Hu- 
man beings, understandably, seek to avoid these torments 
as much as possible. 

Monotheism creates a sharper polarization between 
good and evil. The one Creator is all-good but permits 
evil to exist under the direction of an archfiend. We con- 
sole ourselves with the explanation that evil serves to test 
and demonstrate our moral fiber and spiritual worthi- 


xiii 


ness. Our fate in the afterlife—eternal heaven or eternal 
hell—hangs in the balance. 

In Christianity, Satan, the Devil, is the thoroughly evil 
counterpart to the all-good God. Concepts of the Devil 
developed over centuries, evolving from the neutral ad- 
versary, satan, of Hebrew lore, and the once-good angel 
Lucifer, who chose pride and fell from grace. Every army 
needs a wholly evil enemy, and Satan obliges Christianity 
in that sense. 

Demons, the lower agents of evil, have many guises 
and operate under many names and with many purposes. 
In the pagan view, they are a part of the natural order, 
entities of moral ambivalence who mostly deceive and in- 
terfere. In the Christian view, they are evil—fallen angels 
who, as Lucifer did, chose pride over obedience to God 
and were cast out of heaven. They are doomed to eternal 
hell and serve the Devil, making unending assaults on 
human beings in an attempt to subvert souls to the Devil’s 
domain. 

Outside monotheism, demons have a long history of 
interfering in the affairs of the physical world and the lives 
of people, though not always with the goal of subverting 
souls. They act as tricksters and create annoying distur- 
bances. More seriously, they cause illnesses, insanity, di- 
sasters, and bad luck. Some hold long-standing grudges 
against humanity. The djinn of Arabian lore, for example, 
say they were the original inhabitants of Earth and were 
evicted by God in favor of humans. They want their home- 
land returned, and some of them carry out guerrilla war- 
fare and terrorism against humans to that end. 


xiv The Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology 


Whatever the guises, names, and agendas, demonic 
forces are constantly at play in the world. Thanks to the 
exaggerations of film and fiction, many Christians think, 
for example, that demonic attacks occur in the form of 
hideous beings assaulting people, possessing them, and 
making green slime run down walls and stairs. While 
such events do happen, they are relatively rare among all 
the ways the demonic forces operate. Evil is insidious, a 
Trojan horse that destroys from within, degrading peo- 
ple’s thoughts, intentions, and will to lead the righteous 
life. Evil often operates through people, in the murder, 
mayhem, oppression, and violence people wreak on one 
another. 

Several years ago, in my introduction to my Encyclope- 
dia of Angels, I affirmed my belief in angels. I also believe 
in demons. One does not exist without the other. I have 
had personal experience of both. In my years of research- 
ing the paranormal, I have been puzzled by people who 
adamantly insist that demons do not exist. They readily 
believe in angels and other representatives of the forces 
of light and good, but they deny malevolent beings. They 
would rather not know anything about the demonic in or- 
der not to “dignify” it. Some of them naively think that if 
they do not believe in demons, they will not be bothered 
by them. “See no evil” means to them “avoiding all evil.” 
Ignorance is their protection. 

Ignorance, however, is no protection. Ignorance breeds 
fear, and fear is evil’s greatest weapon. One of the things I 
have found to be true in my paranormal research, investi- 
gation, and personal experience is that what you fear will 
find you. Demons are the front lines of evil. Denying their 
existence only makes human beings easier targets. 

Consequently, it is important to be informed about 
demons and evil. One conquers an enemy by knowing it 
inside and out. To know evil does not mean to embrace it, 
champion it, or glorify it. 

Information shines a powerful light, and it is im- 
portant that we shine that light into the darkness. My 
purpose in writing this encyclopedia is to provide one 
of those lights. The content is not intended to validate 
any particular religious view. Rather, I have explored 
numerous avenues of thought on the demonic. There 
is much diversity but also some common threads and 
themes. Some common themes, for example, concern 
the origins and fate of evil. The world in its original 
state was pristine, perfect, and good. The forces of evil 
entered the world, often through the actions of humans. 
Since then, the forces of evil have been having their day, 
wreaking havoc. At some point, good will vanquish evil, 
and perfection will be restored. Meanwhile, there are 
many ways to counter evil, to minimize its impact in 
the world. 

The lore about demons is rich and varied, and the 
stories of human dealings with demons are colorful and 
mesmerizing. All of my encyclopedias emphasize the 
Western tradition, with the inclusion of some cross- 


cultural entries for comparison. In this volume, I have 
included entries on many individual demons, including 
the heavyweights of hell; types and classes of demons; 
demonized pagan deities; examples of demonic and spirit 
possessions and exorcisms; expressions of the demonic 
in folklore, literature, and film; and personalities who 
have influenced our views on the demonic. 

The early church fathers of Christianity tackled the 
questions of the origins of evil, the existence of the Devil, 
and the operations of demons, but “demonology” as a 
study of the demonic did not gel until about the 15th 
century. By then, the Inquisition, established by the Ro- 
man Catholic Church to suppress heresy, was gathering 
momentum. For the next several centuries, religious and 
nonsecular authorities on demons wrote with great con- 
viction on the diabolical and the relationship between 
witchcraft and demons. Thousands of people were ac- 
cused of witchcraft, which automatically meant being in 
league with the Devil in order to harm people and destroy 
everything good. There was little or no evidence to sup- 
port the claims, but public fears of the demonic were eas- 
ily warped to believe in wild nights of demonic orgies and 
blasphemous activities. Some of these ideas linger today, 
as adherents to Wicca well know. 

One demonic activity that fascinates people most is 
possession. Beliefs about possession are universal and an- 
cient, such as possession by the zar of Middle Eastern lore 
and the kitsune of Japanese lore, who demand attention 
and gifts. Everywhere in the ancient world, possessing 
demons caused illness and insanity. Jesus gained atten- 
tion for his ability to heal these conditions by expelling 
the demons. 

The evolution of the Devil in Christianity narrowed 
the focus on possession; it became the instrument of the 
Devil’s subversion of souls, turning people away from 
God and the church. The Catholic Church developed for- 
mal rites of exorcism to combat this evil. 

The Protestant Reformation in the early 1500s was 
followed in Europe by a period in which Catholics and 
Protestants used possession as one of their battlegrounds 
on which to demonstrate religious superiority and sway 
the faithful. Some of the most famous possession cases on 
record concerned the alleged possession of nuns—such 
as at Loudun and Louviers, France—who put on displays 
of writhing, contorting, shouting obscenities, and other 
outrageous behavior, all for huge audiences. The exor- 
cisms were more like circus acts than religious proceed- 
ings. Sexual repression, revenge, and outright fraud were 
part of many of these cases, though there were some gen- 
uine possessions. 

Genuine demonic possession, from a Christian per- 
spective, still exists today. It is rare relative to other forms 
of demonic interference; however, both religious and lay 
authorities on the subject say it is on the increase. In the 
field of lay paranormal investigation, media attention on 
the demonic has prompted individuals to call themselves 


Introduction XV 


“demonologists” and offer their services, sometimes for a 
fee. Few of them are demonologists in the truest sense of 
the word. Regardless of religious perspective, becoming a 
spiritual warrior against evil is a calling, not a profession, 
occupation, or job description. Real exorcists and deliver- 
ance ministers know that battling evil on its own turf is 
perilous and rarely glamorous. 

Outside religion, demons play roles in occultism and 
magic. They are one of numerous types of entities with 
whom adepts can traffic. They are conjured, controlled, 
and assigned tasks. In magical lore, some demons have 


good dispositions and some do not. They offer humans 
gifts of wealth, knowledge, power, and pleasure—but al- 
ways at a price. The greatest price is one’s soul. 

The Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology is in- 
tended to open further avenues of inquiry on the subject 
of the dark side. In many respects, it is far more impor- 
tant to be informed about demons than it is about angels. 
The demonic are masters of deceit and disguise. If you 
know little or nothing about them, how will you recog- 
nize them? 

—Rosemary Ellen Guiley 


t ENTRIES A-Z <4 


Abaddon (Apollyon) Angel of death, destruction, and 
the netherworld. The name Abaddon is derived from the 
Hebrew term for “to destroy” and means “place of 
destruction.” Apollyon is the Greek name. 

In MAGIC Abaddon is often equated with SATAN and 
SAMAEL. His name is evoked in conjuring spells for mali- 
cious deeds. Abaddon is the prince who rules the seventh 


Apollyon, from Francis Barretts The Magus (AUTHOR’S 
COLLECTION) 


hierarchy of DEMONS, the ERINYES, or Furies, who govern 
powers of evil, discord, war, and devastation. 

Originally, Abaddon was a place and not an angel or 
being. In rabbinic writings and the Old Testament, Abad- 
don is primarily a place of destruction and a name for one 
of the regions of Gehenna (see HELL). The term occurs six 
times in the Old Testament. In Proverbs 15:11 and 27:20, 
it is named with Sheol as a region of the underworld. In 
Psalm 88:11, Abaddon is associated with the grave and 
the underworld. 

In Job 26:6, Abaddon is associated with Sheol. Later, 
Job 28:22 names Abaddon and Death together, implying 
personified beings. 

In REVELATION 9:10, Abaddon is personified as the 
king of the abyss, the bottomless pit of hell. Revelation 
also cites the Greek version of the name, Apollyon, prob- 
ably a reference to Apollo, Greek god of pestilence and 
destruction. 


FURTHER READING: 

van der Toorn, Karel, Bob Becking, and Pieter W. van der 
Horst, eds. Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible. 
2nd ed. Grand Rapids, Mich.: William B. Eerdmans, 
1999. 


Abel de Larue (d. 1582) French sorcerer believed to 
be under the influence of a DEMON in the form of a black 
dog. Living in Coulommiers, France, he was also known 
as “The Smasher.” 


2 Abezethibou 


Abel was placed in a Franciscan monastery by his 
mother. He became enraged at the instructor of novices 
for beating him, and he plotted revenge. At his trial, Abel 
confessed that a black spaniel appeared to him and prom- 
ised to help him and always go to his aid if he would sur- 
render himself to the dog. 

In 1582, Abel was arrested on charges of sorcery and 
spell casting, which he admitted. The demon never made 
good on his promise of rescue. Abel was found guilty 
and sentenced to be hanged and garroted and his body 
burned. He was executed on July 20, 1582. 


FURTHER READING: 

Plancy, Collin de. Dictionary of Witchcraft. Edited and trans- 
lated by Wade Baskin. Originally published as Dictionary 
of Demonology. New York: Philosophical Library, 1965. 


Abezethibou One-winged DEMON who lives in the Red 
Sea, plots against every wind under the heavens, and is 
the enemy of Moses. 

In the Testament of Solomon, Abezethibou states that 
he once sat in the first heaven, named Amelouth. He was 
present when Moses was taken before the pharaoh of Egypt 
and was summoned to the aid of the Egyptian magicians 
when they sought to discredit Moses. Abezethibou takes 
credit for turning the pharaoh against Egypt and for incit- 
ing the Egyptians to pursue the Israelites in their exodus. 
When the parted Red Sea falls in on the Egyptians, Abe- 
zethibou is trapped with the pillar of air, until the demon 
EPHIPPAS arrives to take him to King SOLOMON. Solomon 
binds Abezethibou and Ephippas to the pillar (perhaps 
a reference to the Milky Way) and commands that they 
hold it up in the air until the end of time. 


FURTHER READING: 

The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vols. 1 & 2. Edited by 
James H. Charlesworth. 1983. Reprint, New York: Dou- 
bleday, 1985. 


Abigor DEMON who is a grand duke in HELL. Abigor 
appears as a handsome man on a horse, holding a stan- 
dard or scepter. He knows all the secrets of war and 
sees the future. He teaches leaders how to win the loy- 
alty of soldiers. In hell, he commands 60 LEGIONs of 
demons. 


Abraxas (Abrasax, Abraxis) Gnostic name for the 
demigod who rules the 365th (highest and final) aeon, or 
sphere, ascending to the unknowable God. Christian 
demonologists put Abraxas in the ranks of DEMONs. 
Abraxas also was the name of a sun mounting an 
ouroborus (a snake biting its tail) held by the highest 
Egyptian goddess, Isis, the creator of the Sun and mis- 
tress of all the gods. Isis mythology found its way into 
Gnosticism. In addition, Abraxas was associated with the 
Mithraic mystery religion of Persian origin, the chief ri- 
val of Christianity in Rome in its first 400 years. As did 


Gnosticism, Mithraism featured a complex astrology and 
numerology. Numerical values of Mithra’s and Abraxas’ 
names each total 365. 

The Gnostic Abraxas created the material world and 
also had demonic qualities. He is the supreme power of 
being, in whom light and darkness are both united and 
transcended. Orthodox Christians viewed Abraxas as a 
demon. In turn, Abraxas became a favorite deity of hereti- 
cal sects of the Middle Ages. 

Gnostic talismans made of carved opal show Abraxas 
as a figure with a human body, the head of a rooster (or 
occasionally a hawk), and SERPENT legs. His hands hold a 
shield and a whip, the shield usually inscribed with the 
name lao, reminiscent of the Jewish four-letter name of 
God. He is often mounted on a chariot drawn by four 
white horses, with both Sun and Moon overhead. 

The rooster represents wakefulness and is related to 
the human heart and the universal heart, the Sun. The hu- 
man torso embodies the principle of logos, or articulated 
thought. The snake legs indicate prudence. The shield is 
symbolic of wisdom, the great protector of divine war- 
riors. The whip denotes the relentless driving power of 
life. The four horses symbolize the four ethers by which 
solar power is circulated throughout the universe. 

The seven letters of the name of Abraxas represent the 
seven creative powers and planetary spheres, or ANGELs, 
recognized in the ancient world. The letters add up to a 
numerological value of 365, the number of days and pow- 
ers of the year. 


Abigor (DICTIONNAIRE INFERNAL) 


Aeshma 3 


Abraxas (DICTIONNAIRE INFERNAL) 


Carl G. Jung called Abraxas the “truly terrible one” 
because of his ability to generate truth and falsehood, 
good and evil, light and darkness with the same word and 
in the same deed. In Jungian psychology there is no easy 
way out of psychic conflict; one must not only fight on 
the side of the angels but occasionally join the host of 
the FALLEN ANGELs. According to Jung, fear of Abraxas 
is the beginning of wisdom, and liberation, or gnosis, is 
achieved by not resisting. 


FURTHER READING: 

Hoeller, Stephan A. The Gnostic Jung and the Seven Sermons to 
the Dead. Wheaton, Ill.: Quest Books, 1982. 

Hyatt, Victoria, and Joseph W. Charles. The Book of Demons. 
New York: Simon & Schuster, 1974. 

The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vols. 1 & 2. Edited by 
James H. Charlesworth. 1983. Reprint, New York: Dou- 
bleday, 1985. 


Acaph See LOUDUN POSSESSIONS. 


Achaos See LOUDUN POSSESSIONS. 
Adramelech (Adramalek) A chieftain of HELL. Adra- 
malech is of uncertain origin. Possibly he was derived 
from a Samarian Sun god worshipped by the Sephar- 
vites, who burned children as a sacrificial offering to 
him. 

Adramalech is the grand chancellor of DEMONs, presi- 
dent of the Devils general council, and governor of the 


Devil’s wardrobe. Adramelech himself is often portrayed 
as a peacock (see IBLIS) or as a mule. 

He is the eighth of the 10 evil demons of the sephirot 
of the Tree of Life (see KABBALAH). He works under the 
command of SAMAEL. 


FURTHER READING: 
Hyatt, Victoria, and Joseph W. Charles. The Book of Demons. 
New York: Simon & Schuster, 1974. 


aerial spirits of Solomon DEMONS associated with the 
four elements who were commanded by the legendary 
King SOLOMON. The aerial spirits are both good and evil. 
They can show anything in the world that is hidden and 
can fetch, carry, and do anything contained in the four 
elements of earth, air, water, and fire. They can discover 
the secrets of anyone, including kings. 

The aerial spirits are governed by 31 princes who are 
aligned to points on a compass. They can be summoned by 
directing one’s self to their compass position. The princes 
have dukes and myriad ministering spirits or demons un- 
der their command. The princes cannot be summoned by 
magic unless the magician wears their special SEALs as a 
lamen, or pendant, upon the chest. The conjurations of 
the aerial spirits are given in a grimoire, the Lemegeton, 
also known as The Lesser Key of Solomon. 

See SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. 


Aeshma In ZOROASTRIANISM, the DEMON of wrath, rage, 
and fury. Aeshma’s epithet is “of the bloody mace.” He is 
the fiercest of demons and is responsible for all acts of 


Adramelech (DICTIONNAIRE INFERNAL) 


4 Agares 


aggression and malice, whether committed in war or 
drunkenness. He has seven powers that he can use for 
the destruction of humanity. 

In the hierarchy of Zoroastrian DAEVAs that mirrors 
a similar hierarchy of divinities, Aeshma is opposed to 
Asha Vahishta, the Amesha Spenta, or good spirit, who 
embodies Truth. Aeshma’s chief adversary is Sraosha 
(Obedience), the principle of religious devotion and dis- 
cipline. Aeshma distracts people from proper worship. He 
interferes with the souls of the dead as they approach the 
Chinvat Bridge to the underworld. 

The creator God, Ahura Mazda (later Ohrmazd), cre- 
ated Sraosha to counter Aeshma’s mischief and protect 
people from his attacks. Sraosha ultimately will over- 
throw Aeshma. In medieval texts, Aeshma is made a com- 
mander of dark forces by Angra Mainyu (later AHRIMAN). 
He is swallowed by Az, the demon of avarice. 

Aeshma can be driven away by the recitation of a prayer 
from the Vendidad, a Zoroastrian text. The demon ASMO- 
DEUS of Hebrew lore may be based in part on Aeshma. 


Agares FALLEN ANGEL and the second of the 72 SPIRITS 
OF SOLOMON. Prior to his fall, Agares was a member of 
the angelic order of Virtues. In HELL he is the first duke 
of the power of the east and rules 31 LEGIONs of DEMONS. 
He appears as a handsome man riding a crocodile and 
carrying a goshawk on his fist. He makes those who run 
stand still, and he can retrieve runaways. He teaches all 
languages, causes earthquakes, and destroys spiritual 
dignities. 


Agrath In Jewish demonology, a powerful female 
DEMON. Agrath (beating) and her mother, MAKHLATH, 


Agares (DICTIONNAIRE INFERNAL) 


are in constant struggle against LILITH. Agrath com- 
mands 18 myriads (LEGIONs) of evil spirits and rides in a 
big chariot. She is most powerful on the nights of 
Wednesday and Saturday, when she and her mother 
devour victims, especially people who are out alone. 


Ahriman In ZOROASTRIANISM, the DEMON of all demons 
and the source of all evil. Ahriman originally was a pri- 
mordial desert spirit who became the personification of 
evil in Zoroastrianism. As such, he is not immortal, and 
eventually his reign of terror will be conquered by the 
forces of good. 

There are different legends about the origins of Ahri- 
man as the evil god. In one, Ahura Mazda, the good god, 
created the universe and twins called Spenta Mainyu (the 
spirit of Light, Truth, and Life) and Angra Mainyu (the 
spirit of Darkness, Deceit and Death). The twins fight for 
supremacy and their battleground is Earth. Over time, 
Spenta Mainyu became absorbed into Ahura Mazda, and 
Angra Mainyu became Ahriman. 

The battle between the two forces continues and will 
last for thousands of years, divided into eras. After the 
fourth era, three saviors will appear, who will destroy 
Ahriman and all his forces of evil. 

In a variation of this legend Ahura Mazda created 
Angra Mainyu in a moment of doubt when he was mak- 
ing the universe. 

According to another legend, Ahriman and Ormazd 
(a contraction of Ahura Mazda) were twins born to Zu- 
van, the creator deity. Zurvan declared that the firstborn 
would be supreme ruler. Ahriman ripped himself out of 
the womb in order to be first. Zurvan was bound by his 
promise, but he limited the time that Ahriman could 
rule. At the end of that, Ormazd would take over and 
reign in goodness and light. The Earth is presently un- 
der the rule of Ahriman; that is why there are drought, 
famine, war, disease, pestilence, and other ills. To aid 
him in his rule, Ahriman created 99,999 diseases, and 
six archdemons, called Evil Mind, Tyranny, Enmity, Vi- 
olence, Wrath, and Falsehood. He also created a female 
demon named AZ and a dragon. The archdemons strug- 
gle against the six archangel amarahspands, or “Bounte- 
ous Immortals.” 

Ahriman tried to maim the prophet Zarathustra but 
failed. 

A legend about Ahriman says that he had a son named 
Zohak, whom he trained to be evil. He told Zohak to kill 
his own father. He disguised himself, however, and Zo- 
hak killed someone he thought was his father. Ahriman, 
again in disguise, became chef of the palace. Zohak was 
so impressed with him that he offered to reward him. Ah- 
riman asked only to kiss his shoulders. When he did so, 
SERPENTs sprang from the spots. Every time Zohak cut 
them off, they grew back. Ahriman entered in another 
disguise, as a doctor, and told Zohak that he had to feed 
the serpents human brains every day. Zohak complied 
and became Ahriman’s pride. The son ruled for a thou- 
sand years and finally was destroyed. 


Aix-en-Provence Bssessions 5 


RUDOLF STEINER, the founder of anthroposophy, said 
Ahrimanic forces are intelligent, clever spirits that seek 
to keep people mired in materialism. 


FURTHER READING: 

Hyatt, Victoria, and Joseph W. Charles. The Book of Demons. 
New York: Simon & Schuster, 1974. 

Mack, Carol K., and Dinah Mack. A Field Guide to Demons: 
Fairies, Fallen Angels, and Other Subversive Spirits. New 
York: Owl Books/Henry Holt, 1998. 


Aim (Aini) FALLEN ANGEL and 23rd of the 72 SPIRITS OF 
SOLOMON. In HELL Aim is a strong duke. He appears as a 
handsome man with three heads: a SERPENT, a man with 
two stars on his forehead, and a cat. He rides on a viper 
and carries a blazing firebrand, with which he spreads 
much destruction and fire. He imparts cunning and gives 
true answers to questions about “private matters.” He 
governs 26 LEGIONS of DEMONS. 

Aiwass See CROWLEY, ALEISTER. 

Aix-en-Provence Possessions (1609-1611) Sensational 
case of possessed Ursuline nuns, alleged immoral sex, and 
a PACT with the DEVIL, which led to the torture and execu- 
tion of a priest. The Aix-en-Provence case is one of the first 
in France to produce a conviction based on the testimony of 
a DEMONIAC. Prior to the 17th century in France, accusa- 
tions from a demoniac were considered unreliable, since 
most clerics believed that any words spoken by one pos- 
sessed by the Devil were utterances from “the father of lies” 
John 8:44) and would not stand up to accepted rules of evi- 
dence. As with the LOUDUN POSSESSIONS, sexual themes 
dominated the manifestations of the nuns’ POSSESSION. 

The central figure—and perpetrator—of the case 
was Sister Madeleine de Demandolx de la Palud, a high- 
strung, vain girl from a wealthy and aristocratic Proven- 
cal family. Deeply religious from childhood, she was sent 
in 1605, at age 12, to the new Ursuline convent in Aix-en- 
Provence. There she was one of only six nuns, all of them 
from wealthy families. Their spiritual director was Father 
Jean-Baptiste Romillon. 

After about two years, Madeleine became severely 
depressed and was sent home. There she was visited by 
a family friend who sought to help her, Father Louis 
Gaufridi, a handsome priest 20 years her senior. Gaufridi 
had a much lower class background but was popular 
among the wealthy. He was personable and entertaining, 
and his good looks appealed to women. 

Thus it was no surprise that 14-year-old Madeleine 
fell violently in love with him. He visited often, and gos- 
sip flew when he once spent an hour and a half with her 
without her family present. Warnings about this inap- 
propriate behavior were issued to Gaufridi and to Mad- 
eleine’s mother by the head of the Ursuline convent in 
Marseilles, Mother Catherine de Gaumer. Still, in 17th- 
century France, loose behavior by clergy was tolerated, 
unless WITCHCRAFT was suspected. 


In 1607, Madeleine went to the convent in Marseille as 
a novice. She confessed to Mother Catherine that she had 
been intimate with Gaufridi. Mother Catherine sent her 
back to Aix-en-Provence, which was more remote, and 
where Gaufridi could not visit her. 

Nothing happened for nearly two years, and then 
Madeleine began suffering convulsions, shaking fits, and 
visions of DEMONs. Before Christmas 1609, she smashed 
a crucifix during confession. Father Romillon tried to ex- 
orcise Madeleine, without success. Meanwhile, her pos- 
session infected three other nuns, who began having the 
same symptoms and lost their speech. 

By Easter 1610, the nuns were still afflicted. Father 
Romillon confronted Gaufridi in June about his affair 
with Madeleine, which the priest denied. Madeleine, 
however, had become quite vocal about their indiscre- 
tions during her fits. She accused Gaufridi of denying 
God, giving her a green devil for a FAMILIAR, and having 
sex with her since she had been 13 (later, she said she 
was nine when they began their affair). She claimed he 
gave her a special powder to drink that would cause any 
babies she bore not to look like him, so he would not fall 
under suspicion. 

Romillon conducted secret EXORCISMs on Madeleine. 
Five more nuns became infected. One of them, Louise 
Capeau, became her rival in performance. Exasperated, 
Romillon took the two young women to see the grand 
inquisitor in Avignon, Sebastian Michaelis, a man who 
had gotten on in years but was quite feared: He had sent 
18 witches to their death at the stake in Avignon. He was 
a most determined inquisitor. 

Michaelis’ approach was a public exorcism of the nuns 
at the shrine of St. Mary Magdalene in the grotto at Ste- 
Baume. It failed. 

Madeleine and Louise were then sent to another EX- 
ORCIST, Francois Domptius, a Flemish Dominican priest 
at the Royal Convent of St. Maximin. Louise stole center 
stage. Three demons who possessed her, Verin, Gresil, and 
Sonnillon, spoke through her in a deep bass voice. They 
taunted Madeleine with possession by BEELZEBUB, LEVIA- 
THAN, BAALBERITH, ASMODEUS, and ASTAROTH—all impor- 
tant in HELL—plus 6,661 other demons, for a grand total 
of 6,666. In response, Madeleine screamed obscenities. 
The witnesses, including the exorcists, were convinced 
beyond doubt that the women were genuinely possessed. 

On December 15, Verin, speaking again through Lou- 
ise, identified Gaufridi as the cause of Madeleine’s posses- 
sion. Michaelis sent for Gaufridi, intending that he per- 
form an exorcism, but without explanation to the priest. 
Gaufridi had no knowledge of exorcisms, and the two 
nuns mocked him, calling him a magician. He retorted, 
“If I were a witch, I would certainly give my soul to a 
thousand devils!” 

Michaelis pounced on this and had Gaufridi arrested 
and jailed in the grotto. While he languished in jail, his 
quarters were searched for evidence of witchcraft, but 
nothing was found. Madeleine, not to be outdone by Lou- 


6 algul 


ise, expanded on her accusations, saying the priest did 
not pray with a “clean heart” and accusing him of every 
obscene act possible. 

Even so, without hard evidence, there were no grounds 
to continue to hold Gaufridi. His many friends went to 
his defense. Michaelis reluctantly freed him, and he re- 
turned to his parish in a rage. He undertook a campaign 
to clear his name, appealing even to the pope. He also 
sought to suppress the Ursuline convents and jail the of- 
fending nuns. Michaelis continued to look for ways to 
convict him on charges of sorcery. 

Michaelis confined Madeleine to the Ste-Baume con- 
vent. Her behavior worsened; she may have become 
manic-depressive. She danced, laughed, had visions, 
vomited froth, neighed like a horse, sang love songs, dis- 
rupted services, and told wild stories of SABBATs at which 
sodomy was performed and participants ate babies. Beel- 
zebub made her bones crack and disrupted her bowels. 
After these manic episodes, she would fall into lethargy 
or a deathlike sleep. 

Michaelis at last was able to pressure the Parliament 
of Aix to bring Gaufridi to trial in civil court in February 
1611. Madeleine and Louise were the star witnesses against 
the priest, recounting in graphic detail their possessions 
and going into fits before the court. Madeleine alternated 
this daily display with assertions that she was making ev- 
erything up. She claimed great love for Gaufridi and actu- 
ally writhed on the floor imitating the sexual acts they had 
done. Physicians examined her and agreed she was not a 
virgin. She displayed the DEVIL’s MARKs on the bottom of 
her feet and under her left breast. When pricked with a pin, 
the marks did not bleed or cause her pain. The marks mys- 
teriously disappeared and reappeared repeatedly. Twice 
she attempted suicide in bouts of deep depression. 

While he awaited his turn in court, Gaufridi was kept 
in heavy chains in a rat-infested dungeon. He was taken 
before the court in March, weak and dispirited. His body 
was shaved, and three Devil’s marks were found. 

At last, the priest surrendered to relentless prosecution 
and confessed to being “Prince of the Synagogue” and to 
signing a pact with the Devil in his own BLOOD in exchange 
for the promise that all women would follow him. He de- 
scribed sabbats, though not as luridly as had Madeleine. 

Michaelis was ecstatic at Gaufridi’s breakdown and 
wrote a phony confession of 52 points. Gaufridi rejected 
it, saying he had been forced under torture to confess. 
On April 18, 1611, the court found him guilty of sorcery, 
magic, idolatry, and fornication. He was sentenced to be 
burned on a pile of bushes, a slower way to die by fire 
than by being burned on a pile of faggots. 

Still, the court was not done with the priest, con- 
tinuing a relentless interrogation to obtain names of ac- 
complices. Gaufridi became deranged, still denying inti- 
macy with Madeleine but confessing to more sensational 
crimes. His last appearance before the court was on April 
28, at which he said the truth no longer mattered, and he 
had eaten roasted babies. 


Gaufridi was executed on April 30. First, he was sub- 
jected to horrible torture. He was defrocked and degraded 
and subjected three times to the strappado, in which he 
was strung up on a rope with his hands bound behind his 
back and dropped, so that his bones were severely and 
painfully dislocated. Then, he was subjected four times 
to the squassation, in which heavy weights were attached 
to his feet, and he was hoisted on a rope and dropped 
sharply to within inches of the floor. But Gaufridi had no 
names of fellow witches or sorcerers to give. 

He was then forced to ask God for forgiveness and was 
bound to a wooden sled and dragged through the streets 
of Aix for five hours. Fortunately for Gaufridi, the bishop 
of Marseilles had granted him a special dispensation, and 
he was strangled to death before his body was put on the 
burning bushes. It was a significant mercy. 

As soon as he was executed, Madeleine was “cured.” 
But the Aix-en-Provence affair was not over by any means. 
Louise continued to have visions of witches, which led to 
a blind girl’s being accused and convicted of witchcraft 
and burned at the stake on July 19, 1611. The posses- 
sion infection spread to two other convents, St. Claire’s 
in Aix and, two years later, St. Bridget’s in Lille. There, 
three nuns accused Sister Marie de Sains of bewitching 
them. Most notable about Sister Marie’s testimony, in 
many ways a copy of Madeleine’s performance, was her 
detailed description of the witches’ sabbat: On Mondays 
and Tuesdays, the witches copulated with devils and 
each other in a natural fashion; they practiced sodomy 
on Thursdays and bestiality on Saturdays and sang lita- 
nies to the Devil on Wednesdays and Fridays. Sunday, 
apparently, was their day off. Marie was put away out of 
sight by the archbishop of Malines, and the Lille posses- 
sions died down. 

Madeleine’s troubles recurred later in life. In 1642, at 
age 49, she was accused of witchcraft. Her relatives aban- 
doned her, and she was forced to prepare her own defense, 
with inherited money. She was accused again in 1652, and 
many witnesses testified against her. Devil’s marks were 
found on her. She was sentenced to pay a large fine and 
spend the rest of her life in prison. After 10 years, she was 
released to a relative in Chateauvieux, where she died at 
age 77 on December 20, 1670. 


FURTHER READING: 
Baroja, Julio Caro. The World of the Witches. Chicago: Uni- 
versity of Chicago Press, 1975. 


algul Arabian vampire night DJINN. Algul means “horse 
leech.” The algul lives in cemeteries and takes the form 
of a woman in order to gain the trust of untended chil- 
dren. Although this type of evil djinn lives in cemeteries, 
it prefers fresh BLOOD. It enters homes to prey upon sleep- 
ing children, taking their blood and their breath. It lures 
untended children into dark places in order to vampirize 
them. When fresh blood is not available, it drinks the 
blood of dead infants in cemeteries. 
See LILITH. 


Amityville Haurting 7 


Alloces (Allocen, Allocer) FALLEN ANGEL and 52nd of 
the 72 SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. A duke in HELL, Allocen 
appears as a soldier who rides a large horse. His lion face 
is red with flaming eyes, and he speaks in a loud and 
hoarse voice. He teaches astronomy and the liberal sci- 
ences and gives beneficial FAMILIARs. He rules over 36 
LEGIONs of DEMONs. 


alp In German lore, a vampiric, shape-shifting spirit 
associated with nightmare DEMONs, the BOGEY, and the 
sexual predator demons, the SUCCUBUS and INCUBUS. The 
alp can be either a demon or a malevolent ghost of a dead 
person. In folklore, children are doomed to become alps 
if their mothers use horse collars to ease childbirth. 

The alp can assume different forms, from seductive 
humans to animals, such as cats, pigs, birds, and lecher- 
ous dogs. It may be disguised as a butterfly released by 
the breath of the horerczy, another vampiric demon. 

Regardless of its form, the alp likes to wear a magical 
hat, which confers upon it invisibility and supernatural 
power, including the EVIL EYE. 

The alp has an odd way of sexually molesting men and 
women: It enters through the victim’s mouth as a mist or a 
SERPENT. It drinks BLOOD through the nipples of both men 
and women and consumes the milk of women and cows. 
It sucks the life breath from victims. 

Folklore holds that women can prevent the alp from 
bothering them at night by sleeping with their shoes at 
the side of the bed and pointing toward the door. 


Amduscias FALLEN ANGEL and 67th of the 72 SPIRITS OF 
SOLOMON. Amduscias is a great duke of HELL who rules 
over 29 LEGIONs of DEMONs. He appears first as a unicorn. 
He will take on human shape if commanded to do so, but 
this will cause musical instruments to be heard but not 
seen. Trees sway at the sound of his voice, and he gives 
people the power to make trees fall and also gives excel- 
lent FAMILIARs. 


Amenadiel DEMON among the 31 AERIAL SPIRITS OF 
SOLOMON. Amenadiel is the great emperor of the west 
and governs 300 great dukes, 500 lesser dukes, and 
400,000,300,000,100,000 ministering spirits. Amenadi- 
el’s chief dukes are Vadros, Campiel, Luziel, Musiriel, 
Rapsiel, Lamael, Zoeniel, Curifas, Almesiel, Codriel, Bal- 
sur, and Nadroc. Each duke has 3,880 servants. Amena- 
diel can be conjured anytime day or night, but his dukes 
will only appear at certain hours. 


Amityville Haunting House in Amityville, Long 
Island, New York, where a family experienced horrifying 
phenomena in the 1970s. The Amityville Horror® was 
deemed demonic by ED AND LORRAINE WARREN. The case 
remains one of the most controversial on modern records 
and has been the subject of numerous investigations, 
claims and counterclaims, lawsuits, books and films, 
intense publicity, and attempts to debunk it. 


The haunting phenomena of the house at 112 Ocean 
Street are believed to be related to a grisly multiple murder 
on November 13, 1974. Six members of the DeFeo fam- 
ily—parents, two sons, and two daughters—were found 
shot to death with a .35-caliber rifle. Their estimated time 
of death was 3:00 A.M. A third son, 23-year-old Ronald 
“Butch” DeFeo, was charged with the murders. DeFeo 
pled insanity, based on his history of drug abuse, but he 
was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder and 
sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. 

The house was empty until December 1975, when it 
was purchased by newlyweds, George and Kathy Lutz. 
They were informed of the murders but bought the house 
anyway. They moved in on December 18, with Kathy’s 
three children by a previous marriage: Daniel, nine; 
Christopher, seven; and Melissa, five. 

According to the Lutzes, they immediately experi- 
enced horrible phenomena. Voices told them to “get out”; 
there were swarms of flies in the cold of winter; Kathy 
had nightmares about the murders; the apparition of a 
“demon boy” who could shape-shift into a demonic pig 
was seen; green slime oozed from walls; a crucifix hang- 
ing on a wall was turned upside down; Kathy’s face trans- 
figured before George into a horrid hag; mysterious noises 
sounded in the middle of the night; the apparition of a 
little girl became Melissa’s playmate; unseen presences 
embraced Kathy; cloven hoofprints appeared in the snow 
outside the house; locks and doors were damaged; and so 
on. Their behavior and mood deteriorated. The children 
could not attend school, and George was unable to work. 

The Lutzes tried to bless the house with prayer them- 
selves, but their efforts had no effect. Finally, they were 
subjected to events that terrified them so badly, they knew 
they had to get out. The Lutzes never disclosed all that 
happened on their last terror-filled night, but among the 
phenomena were bangings and a hooded apparition that 
appeared on the stairs and pointed at George. They left 
the house in a rush on January 14, 1976, and went to the 
home of Kathy’s mother, in Deer Park, New York. They 
left most of their belongings behind and sent a mover to 
collect them later. 

In late February, Ed and Lorraine Warren were con- 
tacted by a New York City television producer, who asked 
them to check the house and story. Parapsychologists and 
psychical researchers had gone to the house, but what 
happened there remained a mystery. The producer asked 
the Warrens to hold a séance at the house. 

The Warrens visited the Lutzes where they were stay- 
ing and obtained keys. The Lutzes refused to reenter the 
house but asked the Warrens to find and take the deed 
to them. 

On their walk-through, the Warrens found a house 
evacuated in a hurry. A gingerbread house from Christ- 
mas still sat on the dining room table. Laundry was 
folded, and the freezer was stocked with food. Clothing, 
jewelry, family photos, and other personal belongings 
were left in place. 


8 = Amityville Haunting 


The Warrens conducted a séance and then returned 
at a later time to conduct a nighttime séance for televi- 
sion. In attendance were 17 people, including two trance 
mediums, Alberta Riley and Mary Pascarella. Prior to the 
start of the séance, Ed used religious provocation to test 
for the presence of DEMONs. Approximately half the per- 
sons present were physically assaulted. Ed suffered from 
intense heart palpitations, which affected him for three 
weeks. 

After returning home to Connecticut, the Warrens 
said they were assaulted by a demonic force at about 3:00 
A.M. Details of the attack were published in their autobi- 
ography, The Demonologist (1980). 

The malevolent presence first assaulted Ed, who was 
working alone in his office in a cottage attached to the 
main house. He heard the door open and three footsteps 
sound. At first, he thought it was Lorraine giving him cof- 
fee. Then a howling wind started, building in intensity. 
The desk lamp dimmed and the temperature in the room 
plummeted. A smell of sulfur manifested. 

Ed armed himself with a vial of holy water and a cruci- 
fix and found himself confronted by a triangular, swirling 
black mass, broad at the top and pointed at the bottom. 
The mass grew denser, transforming itself into a horrible, 
hooded figure that moved aggressively toward him. Ed 
threw the holy water at it and held up the crucifix, com- 
manding it to leave in the name of Jesus Christ. The de- 
mon backed off but transmitted an image to Ed of him 
and Lorraine involved in a deadly automobile accident. 
It departed. 

The demon then visited Lorraine, who was read- 
ing in bed with their two dogs present. A loud pound- 
ing sounded and the temperature in the room dropped. 
The sound of wind rose up the stairs. The demon entered 
the room, and Lorraine was paralyzed, unable to react or 
scream. She felt herself being drawn into the black mass. 
She was able to break the paralysis and called out to God 
for protection. She made the sign of the cross in the air; 
that stopped the mass from advancing, but it did not de- 
part the home. Ed ran in, and the mass left, going into the 
next room and up the chimney. 

The demonic encounter was not the first that the 
Warrens said they experienced while pursuing their in- 
vestigations of places such as the Amityville house. The 
Warrens determined that the events at Amityville were 
demonic phenomena, which the Lutzes, who knew noth- 
ing of demonology, could not have fabricated. The War- 
rens took numerous photographs, including one purport- 
ing to show the face of the demon boy peering out from 
a bedroom. 

The Lutzes wondered whether something wrong about 
the house itself might have influenced DeFeo to commit 
the murders. They moved to San Diego, California, where 
they struck a deal with the author Jay Anson to write a 
book. The Amityville Horror was published in 1977 and 
was adapted to film in 1979. Anson never visited the 
house but wrote the book from taped interviews. It con- 


tained numerous errors and embellishments but became 
a media sensation. 

Skeptics used the errors as a way to try to debunk the 
case. There was no snow in Amityville on the day that 
the cloven hoofprints were supposed to have been seen. 
Native Americans refuted Anson’s assertion that part of 
the problem was due to the house’s location on a place 
where Shinnecock Indians had once abandoned mentally 
ill and dying people. Father Pecoraro said he did not go 
to the house to bless it (Lutz always asserted that he did). 
Many more points of controversy surfaced. Even the War- 
rens and George Lutz acknowledged that Anson’s book 
was not entirely accurate but attributed it to Anson’s lack 
of familiarity with demonology and not any deliberate 
acts by George Lutz. For years, the case was repeatedly 
debunked, validated, debunked, and validated. 

In 1977, the Lutzes filed a lawsuit against William We- 
ber, DeFeo’s attorney, and Paul Hoffman, a writer work- 
ing on the story; Bernard Burton and Frederick Mars, two 
clairvoyants who had been to the house; and Good House- 
keeping, the New York Sunday News, and the Hearst Cor- 
poration, which had published articles on the haunting. 
The Lutzes sought $5.4 million in damages for invasion 
of privacy, misappropriation of names for trade purposes, 
and mental distress. Weber, Hoffman, and Burton coun- 
tersued for $2 million, alleging fraud and breach of con- 
tract. The Lutzes’ claims against the news organizations 
were dropped. 

The Lutzes’ case went to trial in district court in 
Brooklyn, New York, in 1979. The judge dismissed their 
suit, saying that from testimony, “it appears to me that to 
a large extent the book is a work of fiction, relying in a 
large part upon the suggestions of Mr. Weber.” 

The couple who purchased the house from the Lutzes 
said nothing unusual happened to them. However, they 
were so annoyed by the publicity and steady stream of 
curiosity seekers that they sued Anson, the Lutzes, and 
the publisher Prentice Hall for $1.1 million. They received 
a settlement for an unspecified lesser amount. Father Pec- 
oraro, who was consulted by the Lutzes for help, sued 
the Lutzes and Prentice Hall for invasion of privacy and 
distortion of his involvement in the case. He received an 
out-of-court settlement. 

The Lutzes stuck to their story for the rest of their lives. 
They divorced in the 1980s. Kathy died of emphysema on 
August 17, 2004. George, who had moved to Las Vegas, 
died on May 8, 2006, of heart disease. Anson died of a 
heart attack in 1980. Father Pecoraro is no longer living. 

The Amityville case has gone on to become a mini- 
industry, spawning books, films, articles, and Web sites, 
and endless debates. Books by John G. Jones, Amityville II 
and Amityville: The Final Chapter, changed the names of 
the principles and added other details. Additional films 
are Amityville II: The Possession (1982), Amityville 3D 
(1983), Amityville 4: The Evil Escapes (1989, made for tele- 
vision), The Amityville Curse (1990), Amityville 1992: It’s 
About Time (1992), Amityville: A New Generation (1993), 


Amorth, father Gabriele 9 


Amityville Dollhouse: Evil Never Dies (1996), and a remake 
of the original The Amityville Horror (2005). 


FURTHER READING: 

Anson, Jay. The Amityville Horror New York: Prentice Hall, 
1977. 

Auerbach, Loyd. ESP Hauntings and Poltergeists. New York: 
Warner Books, 1986. 

Brittle, Gerald Daniel. The Demonologist: The Extraordinary 
Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: 
Prentice Hall, 1980. 

“The Warrens Investigate: The Amityville Horror.” Avail- 
able online. URL: http://www.warrens.net/amityvill htm. 
Downloaded November 1, 2006. 

Yancey, Tim. “The Amityville Horror: Interview with George 
Lutz.” Available online. URL: http://www.amityvillehorror 
truth.com/articles/lutzinterviewl.html. Downloaded No- 
vember 1, 2006. 


Amon FALLEN ANGEL and the seventh of the 72 SPIRITS 
OF SOLOMON. In HELL, Amon is a strong and powerful 
marquis. He appears first as a wolf, but on a magician’s 
command, he will take on the shape of a man with a 
raven’s head and dog’s teeth. He accurately tells about the 
past and the future. He makes men and women fall in love 
with each other, and he settles disputes between friends 
and enemies. He rules over 40 LEGIONs of DEMONs. 


Amorth, Father Gabriele (1925-— ) Exorcist of Vati- 
can City in the Archdiocese of Rome. Dedicated to the 
abolition of satanic evil, Father Gabriele Amorth has per- 


Amon (DICTIONNAIRE INFERNAL) 


sonally handled more than 30,000 exorcisms around the 
world. 

Amorth believes that many modern-day pastimes and 
games—such as conjuring, playing with MAGIC (not illu- 
sion), conversing with a OUJA™, listening to rock music, 
and having contact with satanic ritual and content—open 
the door for demonic POSSESSION. He says there are too 
few priests who believe in casting out devils (although 
Jesus bequeaths that ability to the apostles in his name: 
Mark 3:5, 10:8), much less have any training in the rites 
of EXORCISM. 

Amorth was born in Modena, Italy, on May 1, 1925. He 
received the faculty of exorcist by Cardinal Ugo Poletti, 
the pope’s vicar for the Diocese of Rome, in 1986, study- 
ing under Father Candido Amantini, a Passionist priest, 
who served as chief exorcist for 36 years. When Father 
Amantini passed away on his saint’s day, September 22, 
1992, at age 78, Father Amorth succeeded him. 

One reporter described Amorth as more like the ge- 
nial Uncle Fester on The Addams Family than the stern 
priest depicted by Max von Sydow in the film THE Exor- 
CIST (Amorth’s favorite movie). Amorth’s eyes are intense 
and piercing, encircled by dark rings. Their unwavering 
gaze appears more than capable of staring down DEMONS. 
He dresses in black. Amorth works tirelessly at his call- 
ing, keeping a full calendar of appointments, reading, lec- 
turing, writing, and, most importantly, ridding sufferers 
of the evils he sees all around him. 

He is most concerned about the rise he perceives in 
satanic activity through the practice of WITCHCRAFT, par- 
ticipation in satanic groups or rituals, conjuring, attempt- 
ing to commune with the dead, fortune telling and card 
reading, listening to rock music with satanic lyrics and a 
hypnotic rhythm, and dabbling in magic. He has warned 
against the popularity of the author J. K. Rowling’s popu- 
lar Harry Potter novels, claiming in an interview for a 
Catholic news source that behind the boy wizard “lies the 
signature of the king of darkness.” He tried unsuccess- 
fully to have the Potter books banned from Italy, claiming 
that they teach sorcery to children. 

Demonic possession can happen in one of four ways, 
according to Amorth: through a curse by another, by con- 
tinuing a life of sin, by practicing occultism, and as a test 
of the victim’s faith, most usually the trials endured by 
the saints that prove their holiness. The possessed person 
invites SATAN into his or her life by choosing the paths of 
sin and occultism; the other two ways are foisted upon 
the unwary. 

When a victim of the Devil petitions Amorth for spiri- 
tual cleansing, the priest does not wait for proof of de- 
monic presence, as many of his fellow exorcists do, but im- 
mediately begins prayers of deliverance and liberation—a 
small exorcism—even over the telephone or by e-mail. He 
sees his first efforts as a research tool in themselves, for 
if the prayers have any impact at all on the victim, then 
inhuman entities are at work. Early in his career, he de- 
spaired of how few exorcists were available, but Amorth 


10 amulet 


is encouraged that the number of practicing exorcists in 
Italy alone has grown 10-fold to more than 300. 

He is involved in the training of those exorcists, es- 
pecially regarding the changes in the RITUALE ROMANUM, 
the liturgy of prayers and exhortations in the name of 
Jesus Christ used to exorcise demons and devils. During 
the Second Vatican Council under Pope John XXIII, the 
Rituale was scheduled for revision, yet many years passed 
before Father Amorth and his colleagues saw any of the 
changes. Others worked on the New Ritual, as it is called, 
ignoring the input of those who depended on it. 

In 2000, Father Amorth outlined his objections to the 
revised rite. He was especially scornful of strictures on 
using the New Ritual against evil spells and CURSEs—in 
reality, forbidding its use in such circumstances—and 
the commands that exorcism not be used unless demonic 
activity can be absolutely certified. As noted, Father Am- 
orth uses small exorcisms to prove the presence of inhu- 
man spirits and believes this approach to be valuable in 
terms of diagnosing whether genuine possession has oc- 
curred. Most people who think they are demonically pos- 
sessed are not, he says, and need medical treatment, not 
exorcism. Amorth and his colleagues submitted carefully 
worded amendments to the New Ritual, to no avail. 

According to Father Amorth, the church hierarchy 
regards the exorcists as fanatic “demonologues,” and it 
even exhibits hostility toward them and their work. Most 
insulting to Father Amorth was the refusal by church 
officials to allow 150 members of the INTERNATIONAL AS- 
SOCIATION OF ExORCISTs, an organization founded by Am- 
orth and representing exorcist priests internationally, to 
join in a public audience with Pope John Paul II in St. 
Peter’s Square. At the time of the interview, Amorth re- 
vealed that entire episcopates refused to acknowledge the 
need for exorcists, including the countries of Spain, Por- 
tugal, Switzerland, and Germany. German bishops went 
so far as to inform Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict 
XVI, that revisions of the Roman Rite were unnecessary 
since they would never use it, anyway. 

Father Amorth asserted that the church’s refusal to 
acknowledge demonic activity could mean that the Evil 
One has infiltrated even the innermost circles of the Vat- 
ican. He remains steadfast in his faith, noting that while 
Satan may win battles, the Holy Spirit will win the war. 

Father Amorth has written four books: An Exorcist 
Tells His Story (1999), Gospel of Mary: A Month with the 
Mother of God (2000), An Exorcist: More Stories (2002), 
and Pater Pio: Lebensgeschichte eines Heiligen, a German 
biography of Padre Pio published in 2003. 


FURTHER READING: 

Amorth, Gabriele. An Exorcist: More Stories. San Francisco: 
Ignatius Press, 2002. 

. An Exorcist Tells His Story. San Francisco: Ignatius 
Press, 1999. 

Wilkinson, Tracy. The Vatican’ Exorcists: Driving Out the Devil 
in the 21st Century. New York: Warner Books, 2007. 


amulet An object believed to have protective power. 
Amulets are used to ward off DEMONS, evil, disease, bad 
luck, misfortune, witches, sorcerers, and anything harm- 
ful, especially of a supernatural nature. 

Amulets to protect people, places, and animals against 
demonic attack and influence have been used universally 
since ancient times. Most common are natural stones and 
crystals. Metals such as iron and silver have special pro- 
tective powers. 

Amulets include objects made and imbued with pro- 
tective power via prayer or magic and written inscrip- 
tions—prayers and CHARMs—carried on the person or 
placed in an environment. Amulets also can be sounds. 
Noise, bells, gongs, chants, and songs, as well as fumes, 
are effective. 


Universal Amulets 
Some objects have enjoyed widespread use as protections 
against a variety of evils. Among them are: 


Bells Bells are used in many cultures as a powerful way 
to repel demons, other evil spirits, and the EVIL EYE. Bells 
are associated with the divine and have been used in 
magical and religious rites since antiquity. Bells summon 
people to prayer and clear the air of odious presences. 

Bell ringing to drive away evil spirits is described in As- 
syrian magical texts dating to the first millennium B.C.E. 

NICHOLAS REMY said that demons consider bell ring- 
ing to be “the barking of those mad witches,” and they 
are repelled by it with great indignation. The revulsion 
of demons is evidenced in the fact that many bell ringers 
are struck by lightning, which is under demonic control, 
Remy said. 

Bells are attached to clothing, tied to children and do- 
mestic animals, and hung in doorways. Red ties, ribbons, 
and sashes increase the protective power of the bells. 

In lore, bells should be rung during storms, which are 
caused by witches and demons. On nights when witches 
were believed to be about, such as Samhain (All Hal- 
lows’ Eve) and Beltane (also known as Walpurgisnacht), 
church bells were rung to prevent the witches and their 
demon FAMILIARs from flying over a village. In witch tri- 
als, accused witches testified about being transported 
through the air to a SABBAT on the back of a demon or the 
DEVIL and of being thrown off to fall to the ground when 
a church bell sounded in the night. 

When a person dies, church bells traditionally are 
rung to protect the journey of the dead from demonic at- 
tack as it travels into the afterlife. 


Fumes Burned incense and herbs and sacrificed animals 
are not only pleasing to the gods, but repellent to demons. 
The book of Tobit tells how the archangel Raphael taught 
a young man, Tobias, to produce fumes from the burned 
liver of a fish in order to exorcize the demon ASMODEUS. 


Salt Salt repels demons and evil things because it is pure 
in its whiteness, is a preservative, and is linked to life 


amulet 11 


and health. Salt is contrary to the nature of demons, who 
are intent upon corrupting and destroying. It should be 
avoided in magical rituals for conjuring demons. 

Salt repels witches and the evil eye. A test for bewitch- 
ment is the inability of a person or animal to eat anything 
salted. Inquisitors in the European witch hunts protected 
themselves by wearing a sacramental amulet that con- 
sisted of salt consecrated on Palm Sunday and blessed 
herbs, pressed into a disk of blessed wax. One means of 
torturing accused witches was to force-feed them heavily 
salted food and deny them water. 

Salt is a magical remedy for evil spells. An old recipe 
for breaking an evil spell calls for stealing a tile from a 
witch's roof, sprinkling it with salt and urine, and then 
heating it over fire while reciting a charm. In American 
Ozark lore, women who complain of food being too salty 
are suspected of being witches. One way to detect a witch 
is to sprinkle salt on her chair. If she is a witch, the salt 
will melt and cause her dress to stick to the chair. 

In superstition it is considered bad luck to spill, bor- 
row, or run out of salt, perhaps because in times past, salt 
was a valuable and scarce commodity. Spilling salt makes 
one vulnerable to the Devil; the bad luck may be negated 
by tossing a pinch of salt with the right hand over the left 
shoulder. 

In Christianity, blessed salt is mixed with blessed wa- 
ter to make holy water (see below). 


Running water Water represents purity and will reject 
evil. In folklore, crossing running water will enable a 
person to evade pursuing evil spirits and witches. In the 
European witch hunts, suspected witches were some- 
times “swum,” or dunked into deep water with their 
hands and feet bound. If they floated, it meant that the 
water rejected them because they were evil, and so they 
were guilty of WITCHCRAFT. If they sank—and usually 
drowned—it meant that the water accepted them, and 
they were innocent. 


Crooked paths Crooked paths and bridges confuse all 
spirits, including evil ones, and will prevent them from 
accessing a place. 


Jewish Amulets against Demons 
Major Jewish religious objects with amuletic properties 
against evil are: 


Mezuzah One of the most important amulets is the 
mezuzah, biblical inscriptions attached to doorposts. 
The inscriptions are verses in Deuteronomy 6:4-19 and 
11:13-20—the delivery of the commandments from the 
one and only God, and his instructions to obey them—to 
remind Jews of the principle of monotheism. 

The mezuzah may have originated as a primitive 
charm; by the Middle Ages, it had acquired great power 
as a protector against demons. Rabbinic leaders tried to 
give it more religious significance, based on Deuteronomy 
6:9: “And you shall write them on the doorposts of your 


house and on your gates.” However, in popular usage, it 
served primarily to ward off evil. 

So powerful was the mezuzah in its ability to keep 
demons away that Gentiles and Jews alike used it. It was 
believed also to prevent premature death. Many homes 
had mezuzot in every room. People also carried small me- 
zuzot as personal protective charms. 

Strict procedures were followed for the making of a 
mezuzah. It was to be written on deer parchment accord- 
ing to an amulet table in the angelic Sefer Raziel and un- 
der certain astrological and angelic influences. One set of 
10th-century instructions were “It is to be written only 
on Monday, in the fifth hour, over which the Sun and 
the angel Raphael preside, or on Thursday, in the fourth 
hour, presided over by Venus and the angel Anael.” 

Mezuzot were encapsulated in cases. It was forbid- 
den to alter the face of the mezuzah but was permissible 
to write on the back of the parchment. One popular me- 
dieval addition was the name Shaddai, held to be es- 
pecially powerful in repelling demons. Small windows 
were cut in the backs of the mezuzot cases so that the 
name Shaddai would show. Other additions were names 
of God, other Bible verses, names of angels, and magi- 
cal symbols. Frequently named angels were Michael, 
Gabriel, Azriel, Zadkiel, Sarfiel, Raphael, Anael, Uriel, 
Yofiel, and Hasdiel. 

Mezuzotare in still in use as both religious objects and 
amulets; they guard homes and are worn on the person. 


Tefillin Other important antidemonic amulets are tefil- 
lin, a pair of black leather boxes containing parchment 
inscribed with biblical verses. Tefillin are also called phy- 
lacteries. One of the pair is a hand tefillin, worn wrapped 
by a strap around the arm, hand, and fingers. The other 
is a head tefillin, strapped above the forehead. The tefil- 
lin serve as a “sign” and “remembrance” that God led the 
children of Israel out of Egypt. They are worn during 
weekday morning prayer services. 


Tsitsith The tsitsith consists of fringe attached to outer 
garment, and survives in the modern day as the fringe on 
prayer shawls. The tsitsith and the tefillin especially are 
amulets against accidents, illness, and death. The Talmud 
states that the “threefold cord” of mezuzah, tefillin, and 
tsitsith is a powerful combination against evil: “Whoever 
has the tefillin on his head, the mezuzah on his door, and 
tsitsith on his mantle, may feel sure that he cannot sin.” 


Moonlets Moon-shaped amulets were once worn as neck- 
laces by both men and women and were placed on the 
necks of animals. Other amulets are earrings. The Bible 
tells of Jacob’s burying earrings beneath an oak tree. 


Christian Amulets against Demons 
Christian amulets against evil include holy objects and 
chants, including: 


Cross and crucifix The cross is one of the oldest amulets 
in the world, predating Christianity by many centuries. 


12 Amy 


Its most common form is four arms of equal length rather 
than ina T shape. The cross has been associated with Sun 
deities and the heavens and in ancient times may have rep- 
resented divine protection and prosperity. The cross also 
is represented by the Y-shaped Tree of Life, the world axis 
placed in the center of the universe, the bridge between 
Earth and the cosmos, the physical and the spiritual. 

In Christianity, the cross transcends the amulet to 
become symbolic of the religion and of the suffering of 
Christ’s crucifixion; yet, it still retains aspects of an amu- 
let, protecting against the forces of evil. Even before the 
crucifixion of Christ, the cross was a weapon against the 
dark forces. According to legend, when LUCIFER declared 
war upon God in an attempt to usurp his power, his army 
scattered God’s ANGELs twice. God sent to his angels a 
Cross of Light inscribed with the names of the Trinity. 
Upon seeing this cross, Lucifer’s forces lost strength and 
were driven into HELL. 

Early Christians made the sign of the cross for divine 
protection and as a means of identification to each other. 
In the fourth century, Christ’s wooden cross was alleg- 
edly found in excavations in Jerusalem by Empress Hel- 
ena, mother of Constantine I. Helena is said to have found 
three buried crosses at the site of the crucifixion but did 
not know which belonged to Christ. She tested all three 
with the corpse of a man. Two crosses had no effect upon 
the body, but the third caused it to return to life. Helena 
sent part of the cross to Constantine, who sent a portion 
to Rome, where it is still preserved in the Vatican. Helena 
reburied the rest of the cross. Bits of the cross that were 
fashioned into amulets became highly prized. 

As the church grew in power, so did the cross. Ac- 
cording to belief, nothing unholy can stand up to its 
presence. The cross, and the sign of the cross, will help 
exorcise demons and devils, ward off the INCUBUS and 
SUCCUBUS, prevent bewitchment of man and beast, protect 
crops from being blasted by witches, and force vampires 
to flee. During the Middle Ages, inquisitors often wore 
crosses or made the sign of a cross while in the presence 
of accused witches, in order to ward off any evil spells 
they might cast with the help of their demons. People 
crossed themselves routinely, before the smallest task, 
just in case an evil presence was near. The cross in hot 
cross buns is a remnant of a medieval custom of carving 
crosses in the dough of bread to protect it against evil. 

In cases of demonic POSSESSION, victims recoil from a 
cross. Surreptitiously placing a cross behind the head of a 
DEMONIAC is one of the tests of possession. Demoniacs spit 
on crosses and destroy them. Some suffer stigmata in the 
shape of a cross. Other victims recoil from the cross, as in 
the case of a 16-year-old girl, Clara Germana Cele, in 1906. 
Cele could not bear to be in the presence of even a small 
piece of cross, even if it had been wrapped and concealed. 

In the Catholic rite of EXORCISM, the priest protects 
himself and the victim with the sign of the cross. The rite 
requires that numerous signs of the cross be made on the 
victim's forehead. 


Chant Gregorian chant, that is, prayers sung in Latin, 
are used to quell demons in some possession cases, and 
to cleanse spaces. Demons are believed to find Gregorian 
chant unbearable. 


Benedict medal The medal of St. Benedict (ca. 480-ca. 
457) has always been associated with the cross and is 
sometimes called the Medal-Cross of St. Benedict. It is 
the medal of exorcism and protection against SATAN and 
the forces of evil. 

The front of the medal shows St. Benedict with a cross 
and raven. No one knows when the first medal of St. 
Benedict was struck. At some point in history, a series of 
capital letters, VRSNSMV-SMQLIVB, was placed 
around the large figure of the cross on the reverse side 
of the medal. In 1647, a manuscript dating to 1415 was 
found at the Abbey of Metten in Bavaria, explaining the 
letters as the initials of a Latin prayer of exorcism against 
Satan: Vade retro Satana! Nunquam suade mihi vana! Sunt 
mala quae libas. Ipse venena bibas! (Begone Satan! Never 
tempt me with your vanities! What you offer me is evil. 
Drink the poison yourself!) 

St. Benedict medals are carried on a person and placed 
in homes, cars, and other places as an amulet against Sa- 
tan and a reminder to resist temptation. 


Holy water Holy water is a mixture of water and salt 
blessed by a priest. Salt symbolizes incorruptibility, 
eternity, and divine wisdom, and water symbolizes pu- 
rity. Church sites were consecrated with holy water. The 
Catholic rituals of the benediction and BAPTISM with holy 
water ensure physical health and the exorcism of evil 
spirits. 

As an extra precaution against demons, salt tradition- 
ally is placed in a newborn baby’s cradle until the infant 
can be baptized. At death, salt is left in a coffin to help 
protect the soul from demons during its transition from 
Earth to the spirit plane. 

See INCANTATION BOWL. 


FURTHER READING: 

Remy, Nicholas. Demonolatry. Secaucus, N.J.: University 
Books, 1974. 

Trachtenberg, Joshua. Jewish Magic and Superstition: A Study 
in Folk Religion. New York: Berhman’s Jewish Book 
House, 1939. 


Amy FALLEN ANGEL and 58th of the 72 SPIRITS OF SOLO- 
MON. Prior to his fall, Amy was a member of the angelic 
order of powers. He is a president in HELL, where he gov- 
erns 36 LEGIONS of DEMONS. He possesses perfect knowl- 
edge of the liberal sciences and astrology. He gives good 
FAMILIARS. He appears first as a huge flaming fire and 
then as a man. Amy reveals hidden treasures guarded by 
other spirits. In 1,200 years, he hopes to be restored to 
the “seventh throne,” that is, to the place before God that 
is reserved for the highest of angels. The demonologist 
JOHANN WEYER called this claim “not credible.” 


Anthony 13 


Andra (Indra) In ZOROASTRIANISM, the archDEMON 
known as the Slayer and Fighter, who turns humans 
away from virtue. Andra opposes the good spirit, or ame- 
sha spenta, of Artvahisht. He also punishes the souls 
doomed to HELL. 


Andras FALLEN ANGEL and 63rd of the 72 SPIRITS OF 
SOLOMON. Andras is a great marquis in HELL who rules 
over 30 LEGIONs of DEMONs. He appears in the form of an 
ANGEL with either a raven head or a wooden owl head, 
rides a black wolf, and carries a gleaming and sharp 
sword. He creates discord and kills those who are not 
careful and wary, including the master, servants, and all 
assistants of any household. He teaches people how to 
kill their enemies. 


Andrealphus FALLEN ANGEL and 65th of the 72 SPIRITS 
OF SOLOMON. Andrealphus is a mighty marquis, who 
rules 30 LEGIONs. He first appears as a noisy peacock and 
then as a human. He can transform people into birds and 
make them very cunning. He teaches perfect geometry 
and everything pertaining to measurements, as well as 
astronomy. 


Andromalius FALLEN ANGEL and 72nd of the 72 SPIRITS 
OF SOLOMON. Andromalius is a great earl in HELL. He 
appears as a man holding a SERPENT. He returns stolen 
goods, reveals thieves, discovers wicked deeds and 
underhanded dealings, and reveals hidden treasures. He 
rules 36 LEGIONS of DEMONS. 


angel A being who mediates between God and mor- 
tals. Angels minister over all living things and the natu- 
ral world, and over all things in the cosmos. They play 
an important role in MAGIC. Among their duties are bat- 
tling DEMONs and the DEVIL, and all forces of evil. Angels 
are sent by God in response to prayer and need. 

The term angel is from the Greek angelos, which means 
“messenger.” Acting as a messenger between realms—hu- 
mans and God—is one of the angels’ primary duties. An- 
gels mete out the will of God, whether it is to aid or to 
punish humans. They also can act according to their own 
free will, although they do not sin. 

Angels are specific to Judaism, Christianity, and Is- 
lam; however, they derive from concepts of helping and 
tutelary spirits that exist in mythologies the world over. 
Angels evolved from the mythology of the Jews, influ- 
enced by the mythologies of the Babylonians, Persians, 
Sumerians, Egyptians, and others with whom the Jews 
had contact. The Jewish angel passed into Christian and 
Islamic mythology. 

The Bible presents angels as representatives of God 
who exist in a celestial realm and are numberless. They 
are incorporeal but have the ability to assume form and 
pass as mortals. They also appear as beings of fire, light- 
ning, and brilliant light, sometimes with wings and some- 
times without. Various classes of angels are mentioned in 


the Bible; by the sixth century, these were organized into 
hierarchies. 

The church fathers of Christianity gave extensive con- 
sideration to the duties, nature, numbers, abilities, and 
functions of angels. Theological interest peaked by the 
Middle Ages and began to decline in the Renaissance. 

Angels are prominent in Jewish magic and preside over 
every aspect of creation. They are featured in KABBALAH- 
based magic, which forms a significant part of the West- 
ern magical tradition. Angels, along with demons, are in- 
volved in rituals given in magical books and GRIMOIRES. 

The greatest confrontation between angels and de- 
mons will occur in Armageddon, according to the book 
of REVELATION. Armies of angels led by the archangel Mi- 
chael will battle and defeat the forces of SATAN. 

See THWARTING ANGELS. 


FURTHER READING: 

The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vols. 1 & 2. Edited by 
James H. Charlesworth. 1983. Reprint, New York: Dou- 
bleday, 1985. 


Angels of Mastemoth In the Dead Sea Scrolls, a name 
for the WATCHERS, FALLEN ANGELS who cohabited with 
women and begat giants. The Angels of Mastemoth are 
“Enemy Angels” and “Angels of Darkness.” The Qumran 
text 4Q390 refers to sinners being delivered into the 
power of the Angels of Mastemoth, who will rule them. 
See MASTEMA. 
Angra Mainyu See AHRIMAN. 
Antaura Greek DEMON of migraine headaches. Antaura 
is a female demon, who rises up out of the sea, moves 
like the wind, shouts like a deer, and cries like an ox. She 
enters into people’s heads to cause intense pain. She 
commands other headache demons to do the same. 
Antaura is thwarted by the goddess Artemis, who rules 
the woodlands and the waxing moon. In lore Artemis di- 
verts Antaura into the head of a bull in the mountains. 


Anthony (251-356) Christian saint credited as a 
founder of monasticism, famous for his temptations by 
the DEVIL and his DEMONS. Anthony means “inestimable.” 
Saint Anthony is also known as Anthony or Antony of 
Egypt, Anthony of the Desert, and Anthony the Abbott. 
The account of his life and demonic torments was 
recorded by his friend St. Athanasius, patriarch of the 
church at Alexandria, Egypt, in Vita S. Antoni (Life of St. 
Anthony). The temptations of Anthony were a popular 
subject for medieval artists. 


Life 

Anthony was born in 251 to Christian parents in the village 
of Coma (or Koman) south of Memphis in Upper Egypt, 
during a time of persecutions ordered by the Roman em- 
peror Decius. His fearful parents kept him at home, un- 
read and ignorant of any languages except his own. 


14 Anthony 


His parents died when he was about 20, leaving him a 
large estate and charged with the care of his younger sister. 
About six months later, Anthony was moved by the Chris- 
tian Gospels to change his life radically. He took to heart 
Matthew 19:21, “Go, sell what thou hast, give it to the poor 
and thou shalt have treasure in heaven,” and so sold all of 
his estate except what he and his sister needed to live on, 
and distributed the proceeds to the poor. Then he acted 
upon Matthew 6:34, “Be not solicitous for tomorrow,” and 
gave away the rest. He placed his sister in a house of maid- 
ens and pious women, the first recorded description of a 
nunnery, and around 272 began a life of solitude. 

Anthony’s first retreat was in the Libyan desert, not far 
from his home, where he lived in an abandoned tomb. He 
usually ate only after sunset, his meal consisting of bread 
with a little salt, and water to drink. Sometimes he would 
not eat for three or four days. He slept on a rush mat or 
the bare floor and spent his days in prayer, reading, and 
manual labor. He endured fierce demonic assaults. 

After emerging triumphant from the temptations, in 
about 285, Anthony crossed the Nile River to live in the 
abandoned ruins of a mountain fort, where he stayed in 
almost total isolation for 20 years. He rarely had human 


Demons tempting St. Anthony (AUTHOR’S COLLECTION) 


contact except for the man who delivered bread to him 
every six months, but nevertheless he attracted the faith- 
ful and the curious. Anthony finally went down from the 
mountain in 305, at age 54, to respond to the entreaties of 
his followers and founded the first monastery, at Fayum. 

Anthony spent the remainder of his life working for 
the Christian cause, punctuated with periods of solitude. 
In 311, he went to Alexandria to comfort martyrs prior 
to their executions, somehow escaping arrest himself. He 
founded another monastery, Pirpir, in the desert and then 
went to Mount Kolzim to live in a cell in isolation with 
his disciple, Macarius. He wore a hair shirt and did not 
bathe. He then joined a company of followers to give them 
instruction in the monastic life. 

In 355, he returned to Alexandria to oppose the Arian 
heresy, which held that JESUS was not divine but hu- 
man. He was hugely popular with Christians and pagans 
alike. 

In 356, at age 105, he returned to his refuge at Mount 
Kolzim. He fell ill and directed his disciples to bury him 
secretly at Kolzim beside his followers Macarius and Am- 
athas and send his cloak to Athanasius. Anthony then lay 
down, assured his disciples that his body would rise in- 
corruptible in the Resurrection, and stopped breathing. 

In 561, his remains supposedly were discovered and 
moved first to Alexandria, then to Constantinople, then 
finally to Vienne, France, during the Crusades. 


Demonic Temptations 

As soon as Anthony decided to give away his wealth and 
retreat into the desert, he was beset by the Devil, who 
spoke to him and tried to lure him back to a life of mate- 
rial comfort and glory. Anthony resisted, and the Devil 
increased his torments, by day and night, so much so that 
others became aware of what was happening. Anthony 
held to his fasting and prayer. Most severe were the sex- 
ual seductions attempted. According to Athanasius, his 
biographer: 


And the devil, unhappy wight, one night even took upon 
him the shape of a woman and imitated all her acts 
simply to beguile Antony [sic]. But he, his mind filled 
with Christ and the nobility inspired by Him, and con- 
sidering the spirituality of the soul, quenched the coal 
of the other's deceit. Again the enemy suggested the ease 
of pleasure. But he like a man filled with rage and grief 
turned his thoughts to the threatened fire and the gnaw- 
ing worm, and setting these in array against his adver- 
sary, passed through the temptation unscathed. All this 
was a source of shame to his foe. For he, deeming him- 
self like God, was now mocked by a young man; and he 
who boasted himself against flesh and blood was being 
put to flight by a man in the flesh. 


The Devil did not give up easily, however, and then 
appeared in the form of a black boy, who seemed hum- 
ble and apologetic. He identified himself as “the friend 
of whoredom” and “the spirit of lust” and acknowledged 
that Anthony had often bested him. Anthony rebuked 


Anthony 15 


him, saying, “Thou art very despicable then, for thou 
art black-hearted and weak as a child. Henceforth I shall 
have no trouble from thee, ‘for the Lord is my helper, and 
I shall look down on mine enemies.” The Devil left. 

Once the Devil sent a horde of hyenas to attack An- 
thony. He told them that if they had genuine power over 
him, he was ready to be devoured, but if they had been 
sent by the Devil, they could not harm him. The hyenas 
departed. 

One day while he wove baskets, a man with the feet 
and legs of an ass appeared with other evil spirits. An- 
thony repelled them with the sign of the cross and the 
name of Christ. They fled into the desert, and the ass- 
footed leader fell and died. 

On another occasion, the frustrated Devil arrived with 
a multitude of demons and beat Anthony so severely that 
he lay on the ground senseless from the excessive pain; he 
was found after several days by a friend who arrived with 
his bread. At first, the friend thought he was dead. Seeing 
him still alive, the friend carried Anthony to the village 
church and laid him on the ground. A group of people 
gathered around and kept vigil as though by a corpse. At 
midnight, the saint roused and asked to be returned to 
his tomb. 

Anthony said that “the torture had been so excessive 
that no blows inflicted by man could ever have caused 
him such torment,” according to Athanasius. But worse 
was to come. The tomb shook as though in an earthquake, 
and demons in the forms of animals and insects poured 
in: lions, bears, leopards, bulls, serpents, asps, and scor- 
pions. They made a ferocious racket and feigned as if to 
attack him. According to Athanasius: 


But Antony, stricken and goaded by them, felt bodily 
pains severer still. He lay watching, however, with 
unshaken soul, groaning from bodily anguish; but his 
mind was clear, and as in mockery he said, “If there 
had been any power in you, it would have sufficed had 
one of you come, but since the Lord hath made you 
weak you attempt to terrify me by numbers: and a proof 
of your weakness is that you take the shapes of brute 
beasts.” And again with boldness he said, “If you are 
able, and have received power against me, delay not to 
attack; but if you are unable, why trouble me in vain? For 
faith in our Lord is a seal and a wall of safety to us.” So 
after many attempts they gnashed their teeth upon him, 
because they were mocking themselves rather than him. 


After a period of these assaults, the roof of the tomb 
suddenly opened and a ray of light appeared, and the de- 
mons vanished. Anthony was free of pain. He asked God 
why he was so slow to respond to him. God replied that 
he wanted to see Anthony’s fight. Now that Anthony had 
won, God said, “I will ever be a succor to thee, and will 
make thy name known everywhere.” 

Still Anthony was not free of demonic assault. When 
he journeyed to the abandoned mountain fort to take up 
isolation, the Devil tempted him with a beautiful silver 
dish lying in his path. As soon as Anthony pronounced it 


asnare of the Devil, it vanished, “like smoke from the face 
of fire.” The Devil next tried real gold strewn about, but 
Anthony hurried past it. 

Anthony would allow no one inside the fort; his fol- 
lowers left his food outside. Often, it was reported, they 
would hear a horrible din of voices inside, telling Anthony 
he could not withstand their attack and he should leave. 
Anthony told them the voices belonged to demons, but he 
was not troubled by them. 


Anthony’s Views on Demons 

When Anthony emerged from the mountain fort after 20 
years in isolation, he was in perfect health and spoke to 
the public with compelling grace. He taught people about 
demons. Anthony described them as beings of the air not 
far from humans, great in number, and with many dis- 
tinctions among them. They were not originally evil: 


The demons have not been created like what we mean 
when we call them by that name for God made noth- 
ing evil, but even they have been made good. Having 
fallen, however, from the heavenly wisdom, since then 
they have been groveling on earth. On the one hand 
they deceived the Greeks with their displays [of foretell- 
ing the future], while out of envy of us Christians they 
move all things in their desire to hinder us from entry 
into the heavens; in order that we should not ascend 
up thither from whence they fell. Thus there is need 
of much prayer and of discipline, that when a man has 
received through the Spirit the gift of discerning spirits, 
he may have power to recognize their characteristics: 
which of them are less and which more evil; of what 
nature is the special pursuit of each, and how each of 
them is overthrown and cast out. For their villainies and 
the changes in their plots are many. 


Anthony said that demons attacked all Christians, 
and particularly monks, first with evil thoughts, then 
with sexual seduction, and then with fearsome monsters 
and animalistic shapes. Demons lie in concealment and 
enter homes stealthily through the air. They can appear 
in deceitful guises, including as ANGELs, monks, and 
holy men, who rouse sleeping people and exhort them 
to prayer—but then claim that prayer is useless. If lower 
demons do not succeed, they call in a leader. 

He described more examples from his own 
experiences: 


Once a demon exceeding high appeared with pomp, and 
dared to say, “I am the power of God and I am Provi- 
dence, what dost thou wish that I shall give thee?” But 
I then so much the more breathed upon him, and spoke 
the name of Christ, and set about to smite him. And I 
seemed to have smitten him, and forthwith he, big as 
he was, together with all his demons, disappeared at the 
name of Christ. At another time, while I was fasting, 
he came full of craft, under the semblance of a monk, 
with what seemed to be loaves, and gave me counsel, 
saying, “Eat and cease from thy many labors. Thou also 
art a man and art like to fall sick.” But I, perceiving his 


16 Antichrist 


device, rose up to pray; and he endured it not, for he 
departed, and through the door there seemed to go out 
as it were smoke. 


Athanasius said he was often beaten by demons, as 
when he was found in his mountain fort, but when he pro- 
claimed his love of Christ, the demons beat each other. 

Once SATAN appeared as a tall man, who knocked 
at the cell of his door. Satan demanded to know why 
Christians cursed him undeservedly, for he was weak 
and they were the source of their own troubles. An- 
thony called him a liar in the name of Christ, and Satan 
disappeared. 

Christians need have no fear of demons, Anthony 
said, for they are cowards and liars. They have no power 
to carry out their threats, but are like actors on a stage. 
They are overcome with prayer, fasting, the sign of the 
cross, and faith. Demons, he said, “fear the fasting, the 
sleeplessness, the prayers, the meekness, the quietness, 
the contempt of money and vainglory, the humility, the 
love of the poor, the alms, the freedom from anger of the 
ascetics, and, chief of all, their piety towards Christ.” But 
if a person reacts with fear to them, the demons will in- 
crease their attacks. 

He said that demons will often accurately foretell the 
future, but this is a ploy to make the unwary victim trust 
them. Demons led Greek oracles astray in this manner. 

He recommended a test that would reveal demons: 


Whenever there is any apparition, be not prostrate with 
fear, but whatsoever it be, first boldly ask, Who art thou? 
And from whence comest thou? And if it should be a 
vision of holy ones they will assure you, and change 
your fear into joy. But if the vision should be from the 
devil, immediately it becomes feeble, beholding your 
firm purpose of mind. For merely to ask, Who art thou? 
and whence comest thou? is a proof of coolness. 


Anthony’s Exorcism Skills 

Athansius gives examples of Anthony’s ability to exorcise 
demons from others. While he was in isolation, people 
would bang on his cell door to ask for his help. Many 
times he would not answer, and the people camped on his 
doorstep, often becoming healed in the process of main- 
taining a prayerful vigil there. 

Sometimes he answered and told people they would be 
healed by their own prayer and faith. A soldier who had 
a demon-infested daughter sought his help and was sent 
away with this advice. When the soldier arrived home, he 
found his daughter free of demons. 

When he was out among the public, Anthony cast out 
demons by invoking the name of Christ. Once, he was 
invited aboard a ship to pray with monks. He noticed a 
rank smell from the fish and meat—he was the only one 
who did—and discovered a stowaway, a young man who 
was possessed by a demon. He cast it out. 

Another young man was taken to him, so badly pos- 
sessed that he ate his own excrement. Anthony cast out 
the demon and made the man whole and healthy again. 


Anthony warned others who healed and cast out de- 
mons not to boast about it, for they would make them- 
selves vulnerable to demonic attacks. 


Importance of Anthony’s Experiences 

The account of Anthony’s triumphs over demons, and his 
descriptions and advice, laid an important foundation for 
the Christian perspective on demons. In subsequent cen- 
turies, as cases of POSSESSION were treated by the church, 
the demons performed as described by Anthony, increas- 
ing the intensity of their assaults and calling in higher- 
ranking leaders as assaults continued. They lied, shape 
shifted, and made accurate prophesies and clairvoyant 
observations. They were ultimately banished by the name 
of Christ. 


FURTHER READING: 

Athanasius, St. Vita S. Antoni (Life of St. Anthony). Internet 
Medieval Sourcebook. Available online. URL: http://www. 
fordham.edu.halsall/basis/vita-antony/html. Downloaded 
on January 31, 2000. 

Ankarloo, Bengt, and Stuart Clark, eds. The Athalone History 
of Witchcraft and Magic in Europe. London: Athlone Press, 
1999. 


Antichrist The ultimate opponent of Christ. The Anti- 
christ is associated with the Second Coming and the 
Apocalypse. Originally a man, the Antichrist in more 
modern times is seen as half-human and half-DEMON, the 
son of SATAN, brought forth into the world by a woman. 

The only references in the Bible specific to the Anti- 
christ are found in the epistles of John. The term is am- 
biguous and could mean “opponent of Christ,” “false 
Christ,” “against Christ,” or “instead of Christ.” The ref- 
erences assume the Antichrist to be an existing tradition, 
knowledge that the opponent will precede the Second 
Coming in an effort to seize control of the world. 

The verse 1 John 2:18:22 states, “Who is the liar but he 
who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, 
he who denies the Father and the Son.” In 4:3, the au- 
thor says that “every spirit which does not confess Jesus 
is not of God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, of which 
you heard that it was coming, and now it is in the world 
already.” The verse 2 John 7 states, “For many deceivers 
have gone out into the world, men who will not acknowl- 
edge the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh; such a one is 
the deceiver and the antichrist.” 

Here the Antichrist seems more like a spirit or attitude 
that infects many people, the disbelievers (and thus her- 
etics), and not a single individual. 

Other passages in the New Testament mention op- 
ponents of Christ without using the term Antichrist. The 
Gospels of Mark and Matthew refer to false prophets, and 
Paul’s 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12 refers to the “Lawless One” 
or “the man of lawlessness” who will precede the Second 
Coming: 


Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will 
not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man 


apple 17 


of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition, who 
opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god 
or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the 
temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you 
not remember that when I was still with you I told you 
this? And you know what is restraining him now so 
that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery 
of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now 
restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And 
then the lawless one will be revealed and the Lord Jesus 
will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy 
him by his appearing and his coming. The coming of 
the lawless one by the activity of Satan will be with all 
the power and with pretended signs and wonders, and 
with all wicked deception for those who are to perish, 
because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 
Therefore God sends upon them a strong delusion, to 
make them believe what is false, so that all may be con- 
demned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure 
in unrighteousness. 


REVELATION makes reference to other opponents, 
chiefly the Beasts of the Land and the Sea, and the Dragon 
or SERPENT, the Devil himself. 

The concept of the Antichrist was more fully devel- 
oped in the second century C.E., chiefly by the church 
father Irenaeus, who argued that the best defense against 
the DEVIL is Christ. Christian prayers and the uttered 
name of Christ cause DEMONS to flee. However, the An- 
tichrist, a human, will appear as an apostate, murderer, 
and robber. He will have “all the Devil’s power,” Irenaeus 
said, and will attract followers and worshippers. The An- 
tichrist ultimately will be defeated, and Satan and his de- 
mons will go to everlasting torments in HELL. 

Origen, another father of the early church, termed the 
Antichrist “the son of the evil demon, who is Satan and 
the Devil.” He will be supported in his final confrontation 
with Christ by Satan and his demons, who were impris- 
oned at the time of the Passion. Augustine, one of the 
most influential early fathers, assumed the Antichrist to 
be a single individual rather than groups of wicked men. 

By early medieval times, the Antichrist was increas- 
ingly regarded as a person rather than a personification 
of evil. The Antichrist would be fostered by LUCIFER or 
would be the form that Lucifer himself would take, at 
the end of the world. This form became more and more 
entrenched in theological writings, in folklore, and in 
theater and literature. One common story line held that 
Lucifer would beget the Antichrist with a Babylonian 
whore. 

After the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, 
the pope was often called the Antichrist, while Catholics 
said MARTIN LUTHER would beget the Antichrist. 

In 1848, the Blessed Virgin Mary, appearing in appari- 
tional visions at La Salette, France, predicted that the seat 
of Rome would serve the Antichrist: “How I warned and 
warned that Satan would enter into the highest realms of 
the hierarchy in Rome. The Third Secret, My child, is that 
Satan would enter into My Son’s Church.” 


In 1928, Lucifer was a principal demon possessing 
a woman in Earling, lowa (see EARLING POSSESSION). 
Father Theophilus, the EXORCIST, became convinced 
that the hour of the Antichrist was near. However, he 
did not think that the Antichrist would be a son of the 
Devil, but Lucifer himself, who would fashion a body 
out of earthly matter in order to operate in the world. 
The Antichrist as son of the Devil is the most popu- 
lar view in modern times, represented in fiction and 
in films such as ROSEMARY’S BABY, THE OMEN, and THE 
DEVIL’S ADVOCATE. 


FURTHER READING: 

Augustine. The City of God. Translated by Marcus Dods, 
George Wilson, and J. J. Smith; introduction by Thomas 
Merton. New York: Modern Library, 1950. 

Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible. 2nd ed. Edited by 
Karel van der Toorn, Bob Becking, and Pieter W. van der 
Horst. Grand Rapids, Mich.: William B. Eerdmans, 1999. 

Russell, Jeffrey Burton. The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from 
Antiquity to Primitive Christianity. Ithaca, N.Y., and Lon- 
don: Cornell University Press, 1977. 

. Lucifer: The Devil in the Middle Ages. Ithaca, N.Y., 

and London: Cornell University Press, 1984. 

. Satan: The Early Christian Tradition. Ithaca, N.Y., 
and London: Cornell University Press, 1981. 

Vogel, Rev. Carl. Begone, Satan! A Soul-Stirring Account of 
Diabolical Possession in Iowa. Rockford, Ill.: TAN Books 
and Publishers, 1973. 


apple The fruit of the Tree of Knowledge that led to 
the fall of Adam and Eve became, during the witch hys- 
teria, one of the favored ways for DEMONS and the DEVIL 
to enter a person and cause POSSESSION. 

Eating almost any food might invite possession, es- 
pecially if cursed by a witch or sorcerer, but apples were 
held to be especially dangerous. Demonologists, among 
them the ruthless Henri Boguet, preached warnings 
about them. 

One famous apple possession is the “Vienna Posses- 
sion” case, in which a 16-year-old girl claimed that her 
grandmother sent her demons into an apple and gave it to 
her to eat. The girl was supposedly afflicted by more than 
12,000 demons. 

Apples, cultivated in Britain as early as 3000 B.C.E., 
have had a long association with MAGIC and WITCHCRAFT. 
In mythology, they are the fruit of heaven, longevity, and 
immortality. In folklore, they are love charms and have 
been used in divination and spells to reveal lovers and 
future spouses and to cause people to fall in love. In 1657, 
Richard Jones, a 12-year-old boy in Shepton Mallet in the 
county of Somerset in England, was said to be bewitched 
by Jane Brooks, who gave him an apple. Jones suffered 
fits, and neighbors said they saw him fly over his garden 
wall. Brooks was charged with witchcraft, convicted, and 
hanged on March 26, 1658. 

The apple is associated with enchantment and FAIRIES. 
According to English folklore, it is bad luck to pick all the 


18 Armadiel 


apples in a harvest, and some must be left for the fairies. 
In the Arthurian legends, Avalon, the magical fairy isle 
where time is suspended, is “Isle of the Apples.” 


FURTHER READING: 
Lea, Henry Charles. Materials toward a History of Witchcraft. 
Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1939. 


Armadiel DEMON among the 31 AERIAL SPIRITS OF SOL- 
OMON. Armadiel rules as a king in the northeast. His 15 
chief dukes each have 1,260 servants, who are good- 
natured but must be summoned at the appropriate hour. 
Armadiel’s 15 major dukes are Nassar, Parabiel, Lariel, 
Calvamia, Orariel, Alferiel, Oryn, Samiet, Asmaiel, 
Jasziel, Pandiel, Carasiba, Asbibiel, Mafayr, and Oemiel. 


asag (asakku) A type of Sumerian DEMON that attacks 
humans and kills them with head and fever diseases. 

Asag also is the proper name of a monstrous demon in 
the Sumerian poem Lugale. Asag is the offspring of An, 
the sky god, and Ki, the earth goddess. He is hideous and 
has the power to make fish boil in their rivers. His allies 
are the stones of mountains. 

The poem relates how Asag battles the hero god Nin- 
urta and is defeated. This allows Ninurta to organize the 
world and use stones to construct the mountains so that 
streams and lakes flow into the Tigris and Euphrates Riv- 
ers, thereby aiding irrigation for agriculture. 


Aseliel DEMON among the 31 AERIAL SPIRITS OF SOLO- 
MON. Aseliel is the fourth-ranking spirit under the gover- 
nance of CARNESIEL in the south, and the east. He has 10 
spirit attendants during the day and 20 at night, each of 
which has 30 servants. All the spirits appear beautiful 
and act in loving ways. 


Asmodeus (Aeshma, Ashmedai, Ashmodai, Asmoday, 
Asmodius, Hasmoday, Sydonay) The DEMON of lust, 
the third of the SEVEN DEADLY SINS, and of jealousy, 
anger, and revenge, and the 32nd of the 72 SPIRITS OF 
SOLOMON. 

Asmodeus’ chief objectives are to prevent intercourse 
between husband and wife, wreck new marriages, and 
force husbands to commit adultery. He is also one of the 
chief demons involved in cases of POSSESSION. Through- 
out history, he has been regarded as one of the most evil 
of SATAN’s infernal demons. He is usually portrayed as 
having three heads, those of an ogre, a ram, and a bull, 
all sexually licentious creatures; having the feet of a 
cock, another sexually aggressive creature; and having 
wings and the tail of a SERPENT. He rides on a dragon and 
breathes fire. 

Asmodeus has his roots in ancient Persia. His name is 
derived from AESHMA, one of the seven archangels, or am- 
arahspands, of Persian mythology. The Hebrews absorbed 
him into their mythology, where he attained the highest 
status and most power of all his legends. According to the 


Asmodeus (DICTIONNAIRE INFERNAL) 


Hebrews, he is the son of Naamah and Shamdon. Prior 
to his fall from heaven, he was part of the seraphim, the 
highest order of ANGELs. In other Hebrew legends, he is 
either associated with or the husband of LILITH, the de- 
mon queen of lust. Sometimes he is said to be the off- 
spring of Lilith and Adam. 

The book of Tobit tells how Asmodeus lusted after a 
young woman named Sarah and killed each of her seven 
husbands before the marriages could be consummated. 
With an eighth suitor, Tobias, in her life, Sarah prayed to 
God for help. God sent down the archangel Raphael, who 
instructed Tobias in how to make an incense of the heart 
and liver of a glanos fish, which would drive away As- 
modeus. After Tobias and Sarah were married, Asmodeus 
appeared in their wedding chamber to kill Tobias, but the 
incense forced him to flee. He went to Egypt, but Raphael 
tracked him down and bound him. 

According to the pseudepigraphical Testament of Sol- 
omon, Asmodeus lives in the constellation of the Great 
Bear (Ursa Major). He spreads the wickedness of men, 
plots against newlyweds, spreads madness about women 
through the stars, ruins the beauty of virgins, and commits 
murders. He is forever thwarted by Raphael and the smok- 
ing liver and gall of a fish, especially the sheatfish, which 
lives in Assyrian rivers. He has knowledge of the future. 

Asmodeus is taken into the presence of King SOLOMON 
by the Prince of Demons, BEELZEBUB. Sullen, arrogant, 
and defiant, he tells the king he was born of a human 
mother and an angel father. He also says that Solomon 
will have only a temporary hold over the demons; his 
kingdom eventually will be divided, and demons will go 


Astaroth 19 


out again among men and will be worshipped as gods be- 
cause humans will not know the names of the angels who 
thwart the demons. He admits that he is afraid of water. 

Solomon binds Asmodeus with care. He orders the de- 
mon to be flogged and orders him to state his activities. 
Asmodeus says, “I am the renowned Asmodeus; I cause 
the wickedness of men to spread throughout the world. 
I am always hatching plots against newlyweds; I mar the 
beauty of virgins and cause their hearts to grow cold. ... 
I spread madness about women through the stars and I 
have often committed a rash of murders.” 

Solomon puts him in IRON chains and surrounds him 
with 10 jars full of water, which make the demon com- 
plain bitterly. Asmodeus is forced to make clay vessels 
for the temple. Solomon also burns the liver and gall of a 
fish and a branch of storax beneath the demon, quelling 
his nasty tongue. 

Solomon uses his magic ring to force Asmodeus and 
other demons to build his magnificent temple. After its com- 
pletion, Solomon tells Asmodeus that he cannot understand 
why demons are so powerful when he, their leader, could be 
so easily chained. Asmodeus says he will prove his great- 
ness if Solomon will remove his chains and lend him the 
magical ring. Solomon does so, only to be hurled far away 
from Jerusalem. Asmodeus steals the ring, forces Solomon 
into exile, and becomes king himself. He throws the ring 
into the sea. But Solomon’s lover, the Ammonite Namah, 
finds the ring ina fish belly, and the king regains his power. 
He is immediately transported to Jerusalem when he puts 
on the ring. As punishment, he puts Asmodeus in a jar. 

Asmodeus was absorbed into Christian lore, becoming 
one of the Devil’s leading agents of provocation. Witches 
were said to worship him, and magicians and sorcerers 
attempted to conjure him to strike out at enemies. GRI- 
MOIRES of magical instruction sternly admonish anyone 
seeking an audience with Asmodeus to summon him 
bareheaded out of respect. JOHANN WEYER said Asmodeus 
rules gambling houses. 

According to the Lemegton, a major grimoire, Asmodeus 
is the “first and chiefest” under AMAYMON and goes before 
all other demons. He gives the ring of virtues and teaches 
arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and all handicrafts. 
When properly summoned, he gives full and true answers 
to all questions. He can make a person invisible and will 
reveal all treasures under the guard of Amaymon. 

He was one of the infernal agents blamed for the ob- 
scene sexual possession of the Louviers nuns in 17th- 
century France (see LOUVIERS POSSESSIONS). 


FURTHER READING: 

Henson, Mitch, ed. Lemegeton: The Complete Lesser Key of 
Solomon. Jacksonville, Fla.: Metatron Books, 1999. 

Hyatt, Victoria, and Joseph W. Charles. The Book of Demons. 
New York: Simon & Schuster, 1974. 

The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vol. 1 & 2. Edited by 
James H. Charlesworth. 1983. Reprint, New York: Dou- 
bleday, 1985. 


Astaroth (Ashtaroth) A male DEMON who evolved from 
the ancient Phoenician mother goddess of fertility, 
Astarte or Ashtoreth. Astaroth is also a FALLEN ANGEL 
and 29th of 72 SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. According to Judaic 
lore, he was a high-ranking ANGEL, either one of the sera- 
phim or a prince of thrones, prior to his fall. 

Astaroth is a grand duke and treasurer of HELL and 
commands 40 LEGIONs of demons. He is one of the three 
supreme evil demons, with BEELZEBUB and LUCIFER, in 
the Grimoire Verum and Grand Grimoire, which date from 
about the 18th century. In the Lemegeton, he appears as 
either a beautiful or an ugly angel, riding a dragon and 
holding a viper. He possesses a powerful stench and 
stinking breath. Magicians who desire to conjure him 
must hold a magical ring in front of their faces to protect 
themselves against his smell. 

Astaroth teaches all the sciences and is keeper of the 
secrets of the past, present, and future. He is invoked 
in necromantic rituals of divination. When conjured in 
magical rites, which must be performed on Wednesday 
nights between 10:00 and 11:00, he will give true answers 
to questions about the past, present, and future. He dis- 
covers secrets and is skilled in liberal sciences. He en- 
courages slothfulness and laziness. 

The demon is said to instigate cases of demonic POS- 
SESSION, most notably that of the Loudun nuns in France 
in the 16th century (see LOUDUN POSSESSIONS). The nuns 
accused a priest, Father URBAIN GRANDIER, of caus- 
ing their possession. At Grandier’s trial, a handwritten 


Astaroth (DICTIONNAIRE INFERNAL) 


20 Astovidotu 


“confession” of his was produced detailing his PACT with 
the Devil, witnessed and signed by Astaroth and several 
other demons. 

Astaroth loves to talk about the Creation and the Fall, 
and the faults of angels. He believes he was punished un- 
justly by God, and that someday he will be restored to his 
rightful place in heaven. 

Astaroth can be thwarted by calling upon St. Bar- 
tholomew for help. 


FURTHER READING: 

Hyatt, Victoria, and Joseph W. Charles. The Book of Demons. 
New York: Simon & Schuster, 1974. 

Plancy, Collin de. Dictionary of Witchcraft. Edited and trans- 
lated by Wade Baskin. Originally published as Dictionary 
of Demonology. New York: Philosophical Library, 1965. 


Astovidotu In ZOROASTRIANISM, the red DEMON who 
binds the soul at death and separates it from the body. 
Astrovidotu is often mentioned in association with 
AESHMA, the principal demon of evil. He is called the 
“creation of the demons” in Pahlavi texts. 


Asyriel DEMON among the 31 AERIAL SPIRITS OF SOLO- 
MON. Asyriel serves under CASPIEL as a king ruling the 
southwest. He commands 20 dukes under the day and 
20 under the night, each of which has servants who are 
willing to obey the commands of those who summon 
them. The eight major dukes of the day under Asyriel 
are Astor, Carga, Buniet, Rabas, Arcisat, Aariel, Cusiel, 
and Maguel. The eight under the night are Amiel, Cus- 
riet, Maroth, Omiel, Budar, Aspeil, Faseua, and Hamas. 


Aueiran, Isaac de (d. 1609) Young Frenchman exe- 
cuted for WITCHCRAFT and having a PACT with the DEVIL. 

Isaac de Aueiran confessed at his trial that he was 10 
or 12 years in age when he was introduced to the Devil. 
He went to a neighbor’s house for fire and was asked by 
the woman who lived there whether he wanted to see “the 
grand master of sabbats.” He agreed and found himself 
carried through the air to a distant place, where a SABBAT 
was in progress and men and women were shouting and 
dancing. A big black man—the Devil—walked up to him, 
hit him on the shoulder, and urged him to stay. At the 
same time, the man made a DEVIL’s MARK upon his hand. 
One day the black man appeared and took him back to a 
sabbat, where he ate and danced with the others. 

De Aueiran was arrested and tried in Bordeaux and 
was executed by burning on May 8, 1609. 


Aupetit, Pierre (d. 1598) French priest executed on 
charges of sorcery and trafficking with the DEVIL. Pierre 
Aupetit, who lived in Fossas, Limousin, was 50 years old 
when he was arrested and tried. He was tortured and on 
the rack and confessed. 

Aupetit said that he had attended SABBATs, where 
witches had kissed the anus of the Devil, who was in the 


shape of a black sheep. Aupetit had read from a book of 
spells. He had been given a FAMILIAR, the DEMON BEEL- 
ZEBUB, and had the demon’s little finger. Beelzebub had 
taught him how to procure the love of any woman or girl 
of his choosing. 

Aupetit also said he had been taught the arts of sorcery 
by a known sorcerer named Crapouplet, who showed him 
how to staunch the flow of BLOOD and how to use levers. 

Aupetit was burned on May 25, 1598. 


FURTHER READING: 

Plancy, Collin de. Dictionary of Witchcraft. Edited and 
translated by Wade Baskin. Originally published as Dic- 
tionary of Demonology. New York: Philosophical Library, 
1965. 


Autak (Udai, Uda) In ZOROASTRIANISM, the DEMON who 
makes men speak when they should be silent, and who 
interferes in their physical labors. Autak is a female demon 
who also is associated with incest, and is sometimes asso- 
ciated with DRUJ. She is half human and half monster. 


Az (Azi) In ZOROASTRIANISM, the DEMON of avarice, 
gluttony, insatiability, and lust. Az is often paired with 
Niyaz (want) and is featured also in Zurvanite and Man- 
ichaean texts. The pair is considered supremely powerful. 

Az is the opponent to Atar, the fire god son of Ahura 
Mazda (later Ohrmadz), the creator god. In the Bunda- 
hisn text, Az swallows everything and anything to satisfy 
his want, but he is never fulfilled. If nothing is available, 
he will eat his own body. Az is not the demon of death, 
but he brings about death through his corruption. He is 
behind everything disastrous that happens to human be- 
ings. Az and Ahriman will be the last demons to be de- 
feated by the forces of light and good. 

In Zurvanite theology, Az leads the demonic hordes. 
In Manichaeism, Az is a female demon who is the mother 
of all demons and sin. She formed the human body and 
imprisoned the soul in it. She is Hyle, or matter and evil, 
and tries to make humanity forget its divine origins, thus 
preventing people from finding their salvation. 


Azazel (Azael) Archdemon of the Judean desert and 
king of the seirim, goatlike spirits. 

On the Day of Atonement, Jewish custom called for 
the offering of two goats. One was sacrificed to Yahweh, 
and the other, blamed with the sins of the people, was 
taken alive to the wilderness to be released for Azazel 
(Leviticus 16:8). 

In 3 Enoch, Azazel is one of the WATCHERS who lust 
after mortal women and descend from heaven to cohabit 
with them. He taught witchcraft and revealed eternal se- 
crets. As punishment, he was bound by angels and im- 
prisoned in the desert in a place called Dudael until Judg- 
ment Day. 

Under the name of Azael, he is one of the principal 
evil angels who cohabited with mortal women. The name 


Azhi Dahaka 21 


Azazel (DICTIONNAIRE INFERNAL) 


Azael means “who God strengthens.” According to lore, 
Azael slept with Naamah and spawned Assyrian guardian 
spirits known as sedim, invoked in the EXORCISM of evil 
spirits. As punishment, Azael is chained in a desert until 
Judgment Day. In magical lore, he guards hidden treasure 
and teaches WITCHCRAFT that enable men to make the 
Sun, Moon, and stars move down from the sky. 

In 3 Enoch, Azazel (Azael) is one of three primary 
ministering angels with Azza and Uzza, who live in the 
seventh (highest) heaven. In later lore, he is fallen and is 
punished by having his nose pierced. 

In Akkadian lore, Azazel is one of the MASKIM, princes 
of HELL. 

In Islamic lore, Azazel or Azazeel was the name of IB- 
LIS before he disobeyed God by not bowing to humans 
and was sent from the Earth. 


FURTHER READING: 

al-Ashqar, Umar Sulaiman. The World of the Jinn and Dev- 
ils. Translated by Jamaal al-Din M. Zarabozo. New York: 
Al-Basheer Company for Publications and Translations, 
1998. 

Mack, Carol K., and Dinah Mack. A Field Guide to Demons: 
Fairies, Fallen Angels, and Other Subversive Spirits. New 
York: Owl Books/Henry Holt, 1998. 


Azhi Dahaka (Azhi Dahaki, Azi, Azdaha, Ahi, 
Zohak) In Persian and Babylonian lore, a snake DEMON. 
Azhi Dahaka is Zohak in the Avesta creation myth of 
ZOROASTRIANISM, as the personification of the Evil One. 
His name means “biting snake.” 


Azhi Dahaka (© SCOTT BRENTS—O.O.O.B., ABRACADABRA 
LODGE, HELIX MEMBRANE 84390, YELLOW BALL, & T.H.O.G.) 


Azhi Dahaka was created by Angra Mainyu (later 
AHRIMAN) and serves him. He has three heads and three 
jaws, which represent pain, anguish, and death; six or 18 
eyes; fangs; and wings. He is filled with spiders, snakes, 
scorpions, and other venomous creatures that, if set free, 
would infect the entire world. 

Azhi Dahaka also is described in human form with 
two venomous SERPENTs twining out from his neck, and 
as a DRUJ, half-human and half-beast. The snakes grew be- 
cause either Ahriman or IBLIS kissed Azhi Dahaka there. 
The snakes had to be fed human brains or animal BLOOD. 

In Babylonian lore, he was the king of Babel and had a 
human shape with serpents in his neck. 

Azhi Dahaka governs storms and storm clouds and 
causes drought and disease. He eats cattle. In lore, he 
turned to eating humans, even the first one created, King 
Yima. He usurps Yima and rules for 1,000 years until he 
is vanquished by the Persian king Fereydun. The demon 
will destroy one-third of the world until he is stopped 
by Keresapa. In Persian lore, the Persian king Fereydun 
(Thraetona) binds him in chains under Mount Davand 
by the Caspian Sea until the end of time. In another ver- 
sion, Azhi Dahaka is chained to a rock in the sun until 
he dies. 


Baal (Bael, Baell) An agricultural and fertility deity of 
Canaan turned into a FALLEN ANGEL and a DEMON. Many 
minor deities of ancient Syria and Persia carried the 
name Baal, which means “the lord.” The greatest Baal 
was the son of El, the High God of Canaan. He was the 
lord of life and ruled the death-rebirth cycle. He engaged 
in a battle with MOT (death) and was slain and sent to 
the underworld. The crops withered, until Baal’s sister, 
Anath, the maiden goddess of love, found his body and 
gave it proper burial. The Canaanites worshipped Baal 
by sacrificing children by burning. 

According to the Zohar, Baal is equal in rank to the 
archangel Raphael. 

Baal is the first of the 72 SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. He is a 
king ruling in the east and governs 66 legions of DEMONS. 
He is triple-headed, with a cat’s head and a toad’s head 
on each side of his human head. He speaks hoarsely and 
imparts invisibility and wisdom. 


Baalberith (Balberith) Major DEMON, one of the spir- 
its possessing Sister Madeleine in the AIX-EN-PROVENCE 
POSSESSIONS. Baalberith was once a prince in the angelic 
order of cherubim. According to JOHANN WEYER, Baal- 
berith is the secretary and librarian of the archives in 
HELL and is a demon of the second order, a master of 
the Infernal Alliance. He also is a grand pontiff and 
master of ceremonies. He countersigns or notarizes 
PACTs with the DEVIL. He tempts men to blasphemy and 
murder. 


22 


In the Aix-en-Provence case, Baalberith volunteered 
the names of all the demons possessing Sister Madeleine, 
as well as the names of the saints who could counter 
them. 

Variations of Baalberith’s name are Ba’al, Baal Davar, 
Baal-Peor, Baalam, Baalphegor, Baalsebul, Baalzephon, 
Bael, Baell, BALAM, Balan, Balberith, Beal, Belberith, 
Beleth, Belfagor, Belial, Beliar, BELPHEGOR, BERITH, Bileth, 
Bilet, Byleth, and Elberith. As Berith, he is described as 
wearing a crown and riding a horse. 

A magical ritual for gaining Baalberith’s favor for 20 
years is as follows: Take a black chicken to a CROSSROADS 
at night and sacrifice it by cutting its throat. Say, “Berith, 
do my work for 20 years.” Bury the chicken deeply enough 
so that animals will not dig it up. 


Babylonian demon trap See INCANTATION BOWL. 


bacucei In Greek lore, DEMONs of pride. The bacucei 
incite people to vanity, pomposity, arrogance, condescen- 
sion, and false humility. 


Balam (Balan) A former member of the angelic order 
of dominions and now one of the FALLEN ANGELS with 
40 LEGIONs of DEMONs under his command. Balam is 
the 51st of the 72 SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. He is a terrible 
and powerful king with the heads of a bull, a man, and 
a ram; the tail of a SERPENT; and eyes of flaming fire. He 
rides on an angry bear (in some depictions, he is 


baptism 23 


Balam (DICTIONNAIRE INFERNAL) 


naked) and carries a goshawk on his fist. He speaks 
hoarsely and gives true answers concerning the past, 
present, and future. He also can render men invisible 
and makes them have wit. 


Baphomet Symbol of the satanic goat. Baphomet is 
portrayed as a half-human, half-goat figure, or a goat 
head. The origin of the name Baphomet is unclear. It may 
be a corruption of Mahomet or Muhammad. The English 
occult historian Montague Summers suggested it was a 
combination of two Greek words, baphe and metis, or 
“absorption of knowledge.” Baphomet has also been 
called the Goat of Mendes, the Black Goat, and the Judas 
Goat. 

In the Middle Ages, Baphomet was believed to be an 
idol, represented by a human skull, a stuffed human head, 
or a metal or wooden human head with curly black hair. 
The idol was said to be worshipped by the Order of the 
Knights Templar as their source of fertility and wealth. 
The best-known representation of Baphomet is a drawing 
by the 19th-century French magician Eliphas Levi, called 
The Baphomet of Mendes. Levi combined elements of the 
Tarot Devil card and the he-goat worshipped in antiquity 
in Mendes, Egypt, which was said to fornicate with its 
women followers—as the church claimed the Devit did 
with witches. 

The Church of Satan, founded in 1966 in San Fran- 
cisco, adopted a rendition of Baphomet to symbolize SA- 
TANISM. The symbol is a goat’s head drawn within an in- 


CLI PH ASS 
EVI Dé i= 


Baphomet (AUTHOR’S COLLECTION) 


verted pentacle, enclosed in a double circle. In the outer 
circle, Hebraic figures at each point in the pentagram 
spell out LEVIATHAN, a huge water serpent DEMON associ- 
ated with the Devil. 


baptism A spiritual rite of transformation, rebirth, ini- 
tiation, and EXORCISM. In the Christian tradition, bap- 
tism protects a soul against evil and the snares of the 
DEVIL. In POSSESSION cases, a DEMONIAC who is exorcised 
must be rebaptized. 

Christian baptism is performed with water, in keep- 
ing with the tradition established by JEsuS baptism in 
the river Jordan by John the Baptist. In Catholicism, holy 
water is sprinkled on the forehead. In some Protestant 
denominations, baptism is done by complete immersion 
in water. 

Baptisms are part of many magical rituals and may in- 
clude other elements as well. Baptism by fire and baptism 
by BLOOD symbolize intense purging and purification; 
blood also is redemptive, symbolizing the blood shed by 
Christ on the cross. 

In DELIVERANCE ministry, baptism is essential in order 
to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit for discernment of 
spirits and healing. 


24 Baragqijal 


Demonic Baptism 

During the witch hunts of the Inquisition, the Devil was 
believed to administer a sacrilegious baptism to his fol- 
lowers, usually at a SABBAT, and as part of an infernal PACT. 
The witches renounced their Christian faith and then ad- 
opted a grotesque new name to symbolize their new iden- 
tity. Isobel Gowdie, a Scottish witch tried in 1662, said 
that witches were baptized in their own blood and took 
names such as “Able-and-Stout,” “Over-the-dike-with-it,” 
“Raise-the-wind,” “Pickle-nearest-the-wind,” “Batter- 
them-down-Maggy,” and “Blow-Kate.” 

According to confessions made by accused witches, 
children were baptized by the Devil along with adults. 
Louis Gaufridi, who was executed for his role in the AIx- 
EN-PROVENCE POSSESSIONS of Ursuline nuns in 1611, con- 
fessed to witnessing baptisms at sabbats. He stated: 


I confess that baptism is administered at the Sabbat, and 
that every sorcerer, devoting himself to the Devil, binds 
himself by a particular vow that he will have all his chil- 
dren baptized at the Sabbat, if this may by any possible 
means be effected. Every child who is thus baptized at 
the Sabbat receives a name, wholly differing from his 
own name. I confess that at this baptism water, sulphur 
and salt are employed: the sulphur renders the recipient 
the Devil’s slave while salt confirms his baptism in the 
Devils service. I confess that the form and intention are 
to baptize in the name of Lucifer, Belzebuth and other 
demons making the sign of the cross beginning back- 
wards and then tracing from the feet and ending at the 
head. 


Such accounts of sabbats and baptisms have been dis- 
credited as fables that witnesses were forced to confess to 
by torture. 


FURTHER READING: 

MacNutt, Francis. Deliverance from Evil Spirits: A Practical 
Manual. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Chosen Books, 1995. 

Summers, Montague. The History of Witchcraft and Demonol- 
ogy. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, 1926. 


Baraqijal FALLEN ANGEL who teaches astrology. Baraqi- 
jal (possibly a variant of Barakiel) is named in 1 Enoch 
as a “chief of ten” leader of troops of fallen angels. In 
Jubilees he is identified as one of the WATCHERS. 


bar egara A Syrian DEMON that sits on the rooftops of 
homes and attacks men as they leave to go to work. 


Barbatos FALLEN ANGEL and eighth of the 72 SPIRITS OF 
SOLOMON. Formerly a member of the angelic order of vir- 
tues, Barbatos is a great count, earl, and duke of HELL, 
where he rules 30 LEGIONs of DEMONs. When the Sun is 
in Sagittarius, he appears with four kings and three com- 
panies of troops. He understands the languages of all 
animals, especially the singing of birds, the barking of 
dogs, and the lowing of bullocks. Barbatos can reveal 


treasures hidden by magic and can reconcile friends and 
people in power. He teaches all sciences and knows all 
things in the past and of the future. 
Barbiel (Barakiel, Barbuel, Baruel) FALLEN ANGEL also 
described as a good angel. 

As a fallen angel Barbiel is the former prince of the 
orders of virtues and angels. In HELL, he serves under Za- 
phiel as one of the seven Electors. As a good angel, Barbiel 
is ruler of October and, when equated with Barakiel, of 
February. 


Barmiel DEMON among the 31 AERIAL SPIRITS OF SOLO- 
MON. Barmiel is the first and chief spirit under CASPIEL 
and rules as a king of the South. He commands 10 dukes 
during the daytime and 20 during the night to do his 
bidding and the bidding of an EXORCIST. Each duke has 
20 servants, except four of the night dukes, who have 
none. The eight primary dukes of the daytime are Sochas, 
Tigara, Chansi, Keriel, Acteras, Barbil, Carpiel, and 
Manoi. The eight primary dukes of the nighttime are 
Barbis, Marguns, Canilel, Acreba, Morcaza, Baaba, Gabio, 
and Astib. 


Baruchas DEMON among the 31 AERIAL SPIRITS OF SOL- 
OMON. Baruchas rules as a king in the east and north. 
His 14 major dukes each have 7,040 servants, all of 
whom are good-natured and willing to obey commands. 
The dukes are Quitta, Sarael, Melchon, Cavayr, Aboc, 
Cartael, Janiel, Pharol, Baoxas, Geriel, Monael, Chuba, 
Lwnael, and Decariel. 


Bathin (Mathim) FALLEN ANGEL and 18th of the 72 
SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. Bathin is a strong and great duke of 
HELL with 30 LEGIONs of DEMONs under his command. He 
appears as a man with the tail of a SERPENT, astride a pale 
horse. He understands the lore of herbs and precious 
stones. He can transport people from country to country 
instantly. 


Bealphares DEMON who will tell where treasure is hid- 
den and will fetch gold or silver. Bealphares appears in 
the likeness of either a fair man or a fair woman and will 
appear whenever summoned. Bealphares will transport a 
person from country to country without causing any 
harm and will answer questions truthfully. He will give 
all knowledge of the magical arts, grammar, speech and 
rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy. 


Beelzebub (Baal-zebul, Beelzeboul, Belzebub) Prince 
of DEMONS. Beelzebub, originally an idol of the Canaan- 
ites, means “Lord of the Flies.” The name is a distortion of 
Baal-zebul, the chief Canaanite or Phoenician god, mean- 
ing “Lord of the Divine Abode” or “Lord of the Heavens.” 
Beelzebub manifests either as a gigantic, ugly fly or 
as a monstrous being of great height on a giant throne. 


Beelzebub 25 


In his latter guise, he has a swollen face and chest, huge 
nostrils, horns, bat wings, duck feet, a lion’s tail, and a 
covering of thick black hair. 

Beelzebub has been a feared and formidable demon 
from the earliest accounts of him. He was the Prince of 
Demons in Hebrew belief at the time of JEsus. The Phari- 
sees accused Jesus of exorcizing demons in Beelzebub’s 
name, for according to belief, the power to expel unclean 
spirits was gained through PACTs with demons. The inci- 
dent is recounted in Matthew (12:24-29), Mark (3:22-27), 
and Luke (11:14-22): 


And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, 
he hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of devils casteth 
he out devils. And he called them unto him, and said 
unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? 
And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that house 
cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and 
be divided, he cannot stand but hath an end. No man 
can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, 
except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will 
spoil his house. (Mark 3: 22-27) 


In the pseudepigraphical text the Testament of Solo- 
mon, Beelzebub, or Beelzeboul, is the Prince of Demons 
and is controlled by King SOLOMON with the help of his 
magical ring. Solomon has the demon ORNIAS fetch Beel- 
zebub to him; Beelzebub resists but succumbs to the 
power of the ring. 

Beelzebub identifies himself as “the ruler of all de- 
mons.” Solomon orders Beelzebub to explain the mani- 
festation of demons, and he promises to give to the king 
all unclean spirits bound. He tells Solomon that he lives 
in the Evening Star (Venus). He alone is the Prince of De- 
mons because he was the highest-ranking angel in heaven 
and is the only one left of the heavenly angels who fell. 
He was accompanied by another FALLEN ANGEL, ABEZET- 
HIBOU, who was cast into the Red Sea. Abezethibou will 
return in triumph when he is ready, Beelzebub says. 

Solomon orders him to summon Abezethibou, but 
Beelzebub refuses to present any demon. However, he 
says, a demon named EPHIPPAS will appear and raise Abe- 
zethibou out of the sea. 

Beelzebub says he destroys tyrants, causes men to wor- 
ship demons, and arouses sexual desire in holy men and 
“select priests.” He also causes wars, instigates murders, 
and arouses jealousy. He is thwarted by “the Almighty 
God,” Emmanuel (Jesus), and will disappear if anyone 
uses the oath Elo-i (my God, which Jesus cried on the 
cross). 

Solomon tells Beelzebub to cut blocks of Theban mar- 
ble for the building of his temple. The other demons pro- 
test at this unfitting task for so mighty a demon. Solomon 
tells Beelzebub that if he wishes his freedom, he will tell 
the king about other “heavenly things.” Beelzebub says 
that Solomon can strengthen his house by burning oil of 
myrrh, frankincense, sea bulbs, spikenard, and saffron 


Beelzebub (DICTIONNAIRE INFERNAL) 


and lighting seven lamps during an earthquake. Lighting 
the seven lamps at dawn will reveal the heavenly dragons 
pulling the chariot of the Sun. Solomon does not believe 
him and orders the demon to continue cutting marble and 
producing other demons for interrogation. 

The apochryphal text Gospel of Nicodemus describes 
how Beelzebub came to rule in HELL over SATAN. After the 
crucifixion of JESUS, Satan bragged to Beelzebub that he 
was going to take Jesus to hell in revenge for all the times 
he had thwarted Satan. Beelzebub begged him not to do 
so, for Jesus was too powerful and would upset hell. 

Jesus arrived, and Beelzebub pushed Satan from the 
mouth of hell and barricaded the gate, calling upon all 
the demons to help him. They could not keep Jesus out. 
Jesus trampled over Satan and snapped the chains of the 
imprisoned souls with a single word. He released all the 
trapped saints, who went immediately to heaven. Beelze- 
bub was powerless against him. 

As he left, Satan told Beelzebub, “Satan the Prince 
shall be subject to thy dominion forever, in the place of 
Adam and his righteous sons, who are Mine.” 

In medieval times Beelzebub was regarded as a demon 
of great power. He was said to reign over witches’ SAB- 
BATs. Witches denied Christ in his name and chanted it as 
they danced: “Beelzebub goity, Beelzebub beyty [Beelze- 
bub above, Beelzebub below].” Their Eucharist was bread 
with Beelzebub imprinted on it instead of Jesus. 

There are many stories of his copulating with witches 
in wild orgies. The witches were said to gather around 
the altar in a semicircle and then lie flat on the ground. 


26 Behemoth 


They swallowed a foul medicine that made them sweat 
and then froze them in place. While they were unable to 
move, Beelzebub copulated with them. A frenzied orgy 
then began. 

When BLACK MASSES were fashionable in high society 
in the 17th century, Beelzebub’s name was chanted dur- 
ing the rites. 

According to magical grimoires, a sorcerer conjures 
Beelzebub at his own risk of death by epilepsy, apoplexy, 
or strangulation. Once conjured, the demon is difficult to 
banish. A conjuring spell for him is: 


BEELZEBUB LUCIFER MADILON 
SOLYMO SAROY THEU 
AMECLO SAGRAEL PRAREDUN 
VENITE BEELZEBUTH AMEN. 


Beelzebub also was among the demons blamed for 
demonic POSSESSION cases, among them NICOLE OBRY in 
Laon, France, in 1566, and the bewitchment of nuns in 
the LOUDUN POSSESSIONS and AIX-EN-PROVENCE POSSES- 
SION in France in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, 
leading to the executions of his accused lieutenants, Fa- 
thers Louis Gaufridi and URBAIN GRANDIER. 

One of the demon’s most notorious acts was the EAR- 
LING POSSESSION, in the early 20th century in Earling, 
lowa. Beelzebub entered young Anna Ecklund at the be- 
hest of her father, Jacob, in retaliation for not engaging in 
incestuous sex with him. The demon left on December 
23, 1928, in a terrible roar of “Beelzebub, Judas, Jacob, 
Mina [Anna’s aunt and Jacob’s mistress]” followed by 
“Hell, hell, hell” and a terrible stench. 

Beelzebub rules gluttony, the fifth of the SEVEN DEADLY 
SINS. 


FURTHER READING: 

Hyatt, Victoria, and Joseph W. Charles. The Book of Demons. 
New York: Simon & Schuster, 1974. 

Mack, Carol K., and Dinah Mack. A Field Guide to Demons: 
Fairies, Fallen Angels, and Other Subversive Spirits. New 
York: Owl Books/Henry Holt, 1998. 

Charlesworth, James H. ed. The Old Testament Pseudepigra- 
pha. Vols. 1 & 2. New York: Doubleday, 1983; 1985. 


Behemoth In the Bible a name used for the DEVIL, 
referring to an impure animal and unclean spirit. Behe- 
moth is derived from the Hebrew word behemet, meaning 
“beast” or “large animal.” 

Job 40:15-24 describes Behemoth as “the first of the 
works of God,” the primal monster of the land: 


Behold, Behemoth, which I made as I made you, he 
eats grass like an ox. Behold, his strength is in his loins, 
and his power in the muscles of his belly. He makes his 
tail stiff like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are knit 
together. His bones are tubes of bronze, his limbs like 
bars of iron. He is the first of the works of God; let him 


Behemoth (DICTIONNAIRE INFERNAL) 


who made him bring near his sword! For the mountains 
yield food for him where all the wild beasts play. Under 
the lotus plant he lies, in the covert of the reeds and in 
the marsh. For his shade the lotus trees cover him; the 
willows of the brooks surround him. Behold, if the river 
is turbulent he is not frightened; he is confident though 
Jordan rushes against his mouth. Can one take him with 
hooks, or pierce his nose with a snare? 


The verse 1 Enoch 60:7-8 a refers to Behemoth and 
LEVIATHAN as two monsters who will be parted at the fi- 
nal judgment: 


On that day two monsters will be parted—one monster, a 
female named Leviathan, in order to dwell in the abyss of 
the ocean over the fountains of water; and (the other) a 
male called Behemoth, which holds his chest in an invis- 
ible desert whose name is Dundayin, east of the garden of 
Eden, wherein the elect and the righteous ones dwell. 


Behemoth represents unconquerable strength. 


Beherit DEMON who is a great duke of HELL command- 
ing 26 LEGIONs of lesser demons. Beherit has red skin 
and appears as a soldier wearing a crown and riding a 
red horse. He gives true answers about things past, pres- 
ent, and future and can turn metals into gold. A magi- 
cian must wear a silver ring when conjuring him. 

Other names for him are Beal, Beale, Beall, Berithi, 
Bofry, Bolfri, and Bolfry. 

Beherit was named in the LOUDUN POSSESSIONS and 
was described as having a pleasant and laughing face. 


Belphegor 27 


Beleth (Bileth, Bilet, Byleth) FALLEN ANGEL and 13th 
of the 72 SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. In HELL, Beleth is a terrible 
and mighty king who rules over 85 LEGIONs of DEMONS. 
He once was a member of the angelic order of powers. 

Beleth arrives on a pale horse, preceded by many mu- 
sicians playing trumpets and other instruments. He is 
very angry when first summoned and must be sent to a 
magical triangle by a magician pointing a hazel wand to 
the southeast. He must be treated with great courtesy, but 
if the magician shows fear, Beleth will forever lose respect 
for him. The magician must protect himself by wearing a 
silver ring on the middle finger of the left hand and hold- 
ing it up to the face. If Beleth refuses to cooperate, the 
magician must proceed with his commands. According 
to JOHANN WEYER, a bottle of wine helps to mellow Beleth 
into cooperation. 


Belial (Beliar) One of the most important and evil 
DEMONS, who is deceptively beautiful in appearance and 
soft in voice, but full of treachery, recklessness, and lies. 
The 68th of the 72 SPIRITS OF SOLOMON, Belial is dedi- 
cated to creating wickedness and guilt in humankind, 
especially in the form of sexual perversions, fornication, 
and lust. St. Paul considered him to be chief of demons. 

Belial’s name may be derived from the Hebrew term 
beli ya'al, which means “without worth.” In Hebrew lore, 
Belial was the next angel created after LUCIFER and was 
partly of the order of angels and partly of the order of vir- 
tues. He was evil from the start, one of the first to revolt 
against God. After his fall from heaven, he became the 
personification of lies and evil. Belial’s name is sometimes 
a synonym for SATAN or the ANTICHRIST. In the Old Testa- 
ment, the phrase “sons of Belial” refers to worthlessness 
and recklessness. 

In the Testament of Solomon, a pseudepigraphical text, 
Belial danced before King SOLOMON and was among the 
demons who worked under the king’s command, ruled by 
Solomon’s magical ring. 

In the Dead Sea Scrolls, Belial is described as the leader 
of the Sons of Darkness, the chief of all devils, dedicated 
to destruction. 

Ina Qumrun text called the Testament of Amran (Q543, 
545-48), Belial is one of the WATCHERS, whose three titles 
are Belial, Prince of Darkness, and King of Evil. He is em- 
powered over all darkness and his every way and every 
work are darkness. 

JOHANN WEYER said Belial commands 80 legions of 
demons and serves as infernal ambassador to Turkey. 

According to the magical grimoire the Lemegeton, sac- 
rifices and offerings are necessary to invoke him. He ap- 
pears as a beautiful angel riding a chariot pulled by fire- 
breathing dragons, and he speaks sweetly. He will break 
his promises to magicians, but those who manage to gain 
his true favor are handsomely rewarded with good FA- 
MILIARs and other favors, such as preferences for senator- 
ships or political offices. 


FURTHER READING: 

Eisenman, Robert, and Michael Wise. The Dead Sea Scrolls 
Uncovered. London: Element Books, 1992. 

Hyatt, Victoria, and Joseph W. Charles. The Book of Demons. 
New York: Simon & Schuster, 1974. 

The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vols. 1 & 2. Edited by 
James H. Charlesworth. 1983. Reprint, New York: Dou- 
bleday, 1985. 


bells See AMULET. 


Belphegor Moabite god absorbed into Hebrew lore and 
then Christianity as a major DEMON. The name Belphegor 
means “lord of opening” or “lord Baal of Mt. Phegor.” As 
a Moabite deity, he was known as Baal-Peor and ruled 
over fertility and sexual power. He was worshipped in 
the form of a phallus. 

In the KABBALAH, Belphegor was an angel in the order 
of principalities prior to his fall. He is one of the Togarini, 
“the wranglers.” He is an archdemon who is part of the de- 
monic counterparts to the angels who rule the 10 sephirot 
of the Tree of Life; he rules over the sixth sephirah. He sits 
on a pierced chair, for excrement is his sacrificial offering. 

In Christian demonology, Belphegor is the incarna- 
tion of one of the SEVEN DEADLY SINS, sloth, character- 
ized by negligence and apathy. According to St. Thomas 
Aquinas, all sins that arise from ignorance are caused by 
sloth. 

Belphegor also rules misogyny and licentious men. 
He emerged from HELL to investigate the marital state 


Belphegor (DICTIONNAIRE INFERNAL) 


28 Benedict (St.) medal 


among humans. For a time, he lived as a man to expe- 
rience sexual pleasures. Appalled, he fled back to hell, 
happy that intercourse between men and women did not 
exist there. 

Belphegor appears in the form of a beautiful young girl 
in order to tempt men. Besides sex and lust, he governs 
great riches. He is difficult to conjure, but if a person is 
successful and Belphegor takes a liking to him or her, the 
demon will bestow great treasures and wealth, as well as 
the ability to make discoveries and create inventions of 
all sorts. In hell, he rules inventions and discoveries and 
serves as infernal ambassador to France. 


FURTHER READING: 

Hyatt, Victoria, and Joseph W. Charles. The Book of Demons. 
New York: Simon & Schuster, 1974. 

Mack, Carol K., and Dinah Mack. A Field Guide to Demons: 
Fairies, Fallen Angels, and Other Subversive Spirits. New 
York: Owl Books/Henry Holt, 1998. 

Benedict (St.) medal See AMULET. 

Berith (Balberith, Baalberith, Beal, Belfry, Bofi, Bolfri, 

Elberith) FALLEN ANGEL. Berith appears as a man wear- 

ing a soldier’s uniform and a golden crown and riding a 

red horse. 

As an angel, Berith was prince of the order of cheru- 
bim. As a DEMON, he serves as a master of ceremonies, 
duke, and grand pontiff in HELL, presiding over 26 LE- 
GIONs of demons. He notarizes PACTs with the DEVIL. 


Berith (DICTIONNAIRE INFERNAL) 


Berith was important to some alchemists, who be- 
lieved he had the power to transmute all base metals into 
gold. He was tricky to conjure, however, and had to be 
summoned with magic rings bearing his SEAL. He was 
known for making great promises, but also for being a 
great liar. 

One conjuration spell for Berith calls for bleeding a 
black chicken at a CROSSROADS on a Monday night. The 
conjurer promises out loud, “Berith will do all my work 
for 20 years and I shall recompense him.” Alternately, the 
pledge can be written on parchment with the chicken’s 
BLOOD. Berith will appear and do as commanded—but 
he will claim his reward, the conjuror’s soul, in 20 years’ 
time. 

Berith was named as a key demon in the famous AIX- 
EN-PROVENCE POSSESSIONS in France in 1611. 


Bernael ANGEL of darkness and evil equated with 
BELIAL. Bernael sometimes is equated with Haziel, who 
is otherwise a cherub and good angel. 


Bidiel DEMON and wandering duke of the air. Bidiel 
commands 20 dukes and 200 lesser dukes, plus other ser- 
vants. The dukes change their offices and locations every 
year. They appear in the form of beautiful humans and are 
willing to obey an ExORCIST. The 10 great dukes are Mudi- 
ret, Cruchan, Bramsiel, Armomiel, Lameniel, Andruchiel, 
Merasiel, Charoblel, Parsifiel, and Chremoas. 


Bifrons FALLEN ANGEL and the 46th of the 72 SPIRITS OF 
SOLOMON. The earl Bifrons has a monstrous appearance 
but will take on human shape when ordered to do so. He 
teaches astronomy, astrology, geometry, other mathemati- 
cal arts, and the knowledge of herbs, precious stones, and 
woods. He removes dead bodies from their graves and 
leaves them in other places and lights phantom candles 
on the graves. He commands six LEGIONS of DEMONS. 


Binsfeld, Peter (ca. 1540-1603) 
demonologist, and witch hunter. 

Peter Binsfeld was born in the village of Binsfeld, Eifel, 
Germany. His father was a farmer and craftsman. Gifted 
in childhood, he was sent to Rome for study. He returned 
to Binsfeld and became prominent in campaigns against 
the Protestants. 

Binsfeld was elected suffragan bishop of Treves (Trier) 
and became one of the primary witch hunters behind the 
trials of 306 persons accused of WITCHCRAFT between 
1587 and 1594. The region was gripped by a terrible blight 
on crops, and the public readily blamed their troubles on 
the evildoing of witches. 

Binsfeld authored the Treatise on Confessions by Evildo- 
ers and Witches (1589), which became a leading inquisi- 
tors handbook and was translated into several languages. 
He encouraged denouncements—the accused at the 
Treves trials denounced about 6,000 people—and sanc- 


German Jesuit priest, 


Black Mass 29 


tioned the repetition of torture. He maintained that the 
DEVIL could not appear in the form of an innocent per- 
son, but he did not believe in the DEVIĽS MARK and the 
shape-shifting ability of witches. He allowed the trials of 
children under certain conditions. 

In the Treves trials, even leading citizens were not 
immune. The chief judge, Dietrich Flade, was himself ac- 
cused and burned at the stake, as were two burgomasters 
and several councilors and associate judges. Numerous 
clerics were ruined, and the children of the condemned 
were stripped of all their belongings and sent into exile. 

Binsfeld’s treatise included a classification of DEMONs 
and their sins; he was the first person to pair demons 
with the SEVEN DEADLY SINS: LUCIFER (pride), MAMMON 
(avarice), ASMODEUS (lechery), SATAN (anger), BEELZEBUB 
(gluttony), LEVIATHAN (envy), and BELPHEGOR (sloth). 

Binsfeld died in Treves of the bubonic plague around 
1603. 


black book A magical handbook that provides instruc- 
tions for trafficking with spirits, including DEMONs and 
ANGELs; divination; and acquisition and use of supernat- 
ural powers. In some cases, possession of the black book 
itself bestows supernatural powers, wealth, or luck upon 
its owner. However, use of a black book usually backfires 
with serious consequences. Some black books are said to 
be written in BLOOD as a PACT with the DEVIL. 

According to a German tale, a black book of unknown 
origin was passed down through inheritance and came 
into the possession of some peasants. Its magical pow- 
ers were released by reading it forward and backward. 
If anyone failed to read the book backward, the Devil 
was able to take control of him or her. Once activated, 
the book enabled people to acquire great wealth and do 
terrible things to others without punishment. However, 
there were consequences to using the black book that 
caused its owners grief. They tried to get rid of the book 
but could not do so. They sought help from a minister, 
who successfully nailed the book into a drawer. Such a 
tale serves to demonstrate the power of Christianity over 
both occult powers and pagan folk magic. 

Black books are more than mysteriously empowered 
items of folklore, however. In practice, many people and 
families kept black books as guides for living. They in- 
cluded magical cures and healing recipes, prayers, CHARMS, 
incantations, blessings, rituals for burial, seasonal and 
agricultural rites, techniques for divination, and ways to 
ward off evil and bad luck and attract good luck. The mate- 
rial is a mixture of old folkways and lore and Christian ele- 
ments. Some black books credit their origins to Cyprianus 
of Antioch (St. Cyprian), who lived in the fourth century 
C.E. in Turkey. According to lore, Cyprian was a sorcerer 
who escaped the domination of DEMONs and the Devil by 
making the sign of the cross. He converted to Christianity 
and became a bishop. He ended his life as a martyr. 

See GRIMOIRES. 


FURTHER READING: 

Butler, E. M. Ritual Magic. Cambridge: Cambridge University 
Press, 1949. 

Rustad, Mary S., ed. and trans. The Black Books of Elverum. 
Lakeville, Minn.: Galde Press, 1999. 


black dogs Spectral animals associated with demonic 
powers, death, and disaster. Phantom black dogs are 
widespread in folklore. They are said to be DEMONs or 
the DEVIL in shape-shifted form or a demonic animal 
companion of demons. 

Spectral black dogs are often unusually large and have 
glowing red or yellow eyes. They give out an unearthly, 
bone-chilling howl. They like to roam remote areas of the 
countryside. The sight of one is a harbinger of death or 
disaster. 

Sometimes spectral black dogs appear in the middle 
of lonely roads. If they are struck by a car, they disappear 
and the vehicle is not damaged. 

One famous black dog in English folklore is Black 
Shuck. Shuck derives from an old Anglo-Saxon term, 
scucca or sceocca, meaning “demon” or “Satan.” 

During the European witch hunts, witches were often 
said to have FAMILIARs in the form of black dogs, or to be 
visited by their master, the Devil, in the shape of a black 
dog. 

In Arabian lore, black dogs are a favorite form taken 
by the DJINN. If a djinn becomes attached to a human, it 
may assume the shape of a black dog in order to get close 
to that person. 

See ABEL DE LARUE; CERBERUS. 


Black Mass An obscene parody of the Catholic Holy 
Mass at which the DEVIL is worshipped. During the 
Inquisition, witch hunters and demonologists claimed 
that witches—or any heretics—frequently performed 
Black Masses as part of their infernal SABBATs with 
DEMONs and the Devil. Black Masses have been per- 
formed for centuries and occur in contemporary times, 
but it is doubtful that they have been as prevalent—or as 
outrageous—as often claimed. 


Characteristics 

There is no single definitive Black Mass ritual. The 
purpose is to parody the Catholic Holy Mass by per- 
forming it or parts of it backward, inverting the cross, 
stepping or spitting on the cross, stabbing the host, and 
performing other sacrilegious acts. Urine is sometimes 
substituted for the holy water used to sprinkle the at- 
tendees, urine or water is substituted for the wine, and 
rotted turnip slices, pieces of black leather, or black tri- 
angles are substituted for the host. Black candles are 
substituted for white ones. The service is performed by 
a defrocked or renegade priest, who wears vestments 
that are black or the color of dried blood and embroi- 
dered with an inverted cross, a goat’s head, or magical 
symbols. 


30 Black Mass 


One famous form of the Black Mass was the Mass of 
St. Secaire, said to have originated in the Middle Ages in 
Gascony for the purpose of cursing an enemy to death 
by a slow, wasting illness. Montague Summers pro- 
vides a description of it in The History of Witchcraft and 
Demonology: 


The mass is said upon a broken and desecrated altar in 
some ruined or deserted church where owls hoot and 
mope and bats flit through the crumbling windows, 
where toads spit their venom upon the sacred stone. The 
priest must make his way thither late attended only by 
an acolyte of impure and evil life. At the first stroke of 
eleven he begins; the liturgy of hell is mumbled back- 
ward, the canon said with a mow and a sneer; he ends 
just as midnight tolls. 


The Mass of St. Secaire requires a triangular black 
host and brackish water drawn from a well in which the 
corpse of an unbaptized baby has been tossed. 


History 

Magical uses of the Mass and alleged perversions of the 
Mass are almost as old as Christianity itself. In the sec- 
ond century, St. Irenaeus accused the Gnostic teacher 
Marcus of perverting the Mass. The Gelasian Sacramen- 
tary (ca. sixth century) documents masses to be said for 
a variety of magical purposes, including weather con- 
trol, fertility, protection, and love divination. Masses 
also were said with the intent to kill people; these were 
officially condemned as early as 694 by the Council of 
Toledo. 

The magical significance of the Black Mass lies in the 
belief that the Holy Mass involves a miracle: the transub- 
stantiation of the bread and wine into the body and blood 
of Christ. If the priest, as magician, can effect a miracle 
in a Holy Mass, then he surely can effect magic in a mass 
used for other purposes. Priests who attempted to subvert 
the Holy Mass for evil purposes, such as cursing a per- 
son to death, were condemned by the Catholic Church as 
early as the seventh century. 

Magical uses of the Mass increased in the Middle 
Ages. The beginnings of the organized Black Mass as part 
of Devil worship coincides with the expansion of the In- 
quisition and rising public fears about the evil powers of 
witches. The first witch trials to feature accusations of 
sabbats, Devil’s PACTs, and Black Masses all occurred in 
the 14th century. 

In 1307, the powerful and wealthy Order of the Knights 
Templar was destroyed on accusations of conducting 
blasphemous rites in which Christ was renounced and 
idols made of stuffed human heads were worshipped. The 
Knights Templar also were accused of spitting and tram- 
pling upon the cross and worshipping the Devil in the 
shape of a black cat. Members of the order were arrested, 
tortured, and executed. 

In 1440, GILLES DE RAIS, a French baron, was arrested 
and accused of conducting Black Masses in the cellar 


of his castle in order to gain riches and power. He was 
charged with kidnapping, torturing, and murdering more 
than 140 children as sacrifices. He was convicted and 
executed. 

In the 16th and 17th centuries, priests in France were 
arrested and executed for conducting Black Masses. Many 
of the masses were theatrical events intended for social 
shock and protest against the church; the seriousness of 
the actual “Devil worship” was dubious. For example, in 
1500, the cathedral chapter of Cambrai held Black Masses 
in protest against their bishop. A priest in Orléans, Gen- 
tien le Clerc, tried in 1614-15, confessed to performing 
a “Devil’s mass,” which was followed by drinking and a 
wild sexual orgy. 

Black Masses figured in high-profile POSSESSION cases, 
such as the LOUVIERS POSSESSIONS in 1647. Ursuline nuns 
said they had been bewitched and possessed and were 
forced by chaplains—led by Abbé Thomas Boulle—to 
participate nude in Black Masses, defiling the cross, tram- 
pling upon the host, and having sex with demons. 

The height of the theatrical, anti-Catholic Black Mass 
was reached in the late 17th century, during the reign of 
Louis XIV, who was criticized for his tolerance of witches 
and sorcerers. It became fashionable among nobility to 
hire priests to perform erotic Black Masses in dark cel- 
lars. The chief organizer of these rites was Catherine 
Deshayes, known as “La Voisin,” a witch who told for- 
tunes and sold love philters. La Voisin employed a cadre 
of priests who performed the masses, including the ugly 
and evil Abbé Guiborg, who were gold-trimmed and lace- 
lined vestments and scarlet shoes. 

The mistress of Louis XIV, the marquise de Montespan, 
sought out the services of La Voisin because she feared 
the king was becoming interested in another woman. Us- 
ing Montespan as a naked altar, Guiborg said three Black 
Masses over her, invoking Satan and his demons of lust 
and deceit, BEELZEBUB, ASMODEUS, and ASTAROTH, to grant 
whatever Montespan desired. While incense burned, the 
throats of children were slit and their blood poured into 
chalices and mixed with flour to make the host. When- 
ever the mass called for kissing the altar, Guiborg kissed 
Montespan. He consecrated the host over her genitals and 
inserted pieces in her vagina. The ritual was followed by 
an orgy. The bodies of the children were later burned ina 
furnace in La Voisin’s house. 

When the scandal of the Black Masses broke, Louis 
arrested 246 men and women, many of them some of 
France’s highest-ranking nobles, and put them on trial. 
Confessions were made under torture. Most of the nobility 
received only jail sentences and exile in the countryside. 
Thirty-six of the commoners were executed, including La 
Voisin, who was burned alive in 1680. 

Louis kept Montespan out of the trials, but she suf- 
fered great humiliation and disgrace. When Louis’ queen, 
Maria Theresa, died in 1683, he married another woman, 
Madame de Maintenon. 


Black Mass 31 


Paralleling the theatrical and antichurch Black 
Masses were the accusations of Black Masses conducted 
by witches. In the 14th-18th centuries, inquisitors con- 
sidered Devil worship in obscene rites to be an integral 
part of witchcraft. Victims tortured by witch hunters and 
inquisitors confessed to participating in obscene rituals 
at SABBATs, in which the cross was defiled and the Devil 
served as priest. It is doubtful that such sabbats actually 
took place as described by inquisitors and demonologists. 
There is no evidence that the Black Mass was part of his- 
torical European witchcraft. 

The Black Mass continued as a decadent fashion into 
the 19th century during an occult revival. Joris K. Huys- 
mans’ 1891 novel La-bas (Down There or Lower Depths) 
features the Gilles de Rais story. It draws upon Abbé 
Boulle from Louivers—Huysmans even inserted himself 
as a character—in its exploration of satanic rites and con- 
tains a description of the Black Mass. 

Durtal, the character who is based on Huysmans, is 
taken by a woman, Hyacinthe, to a dingy, moldy chapel 
that once was used by Ursuline nuns, then turned into 
a livery and a barn to store hay. It has been taken over 
by satanists. Among the participants is a debauched nun. 
A choking incense of henbane, datura, dried nightshade, 
and myrrh is burned. After a mass of obscenities and 
blasphemies and the desecration of the host, the place 
erupts in “a monstrous pandemonium of prostitutes and 
maniacs.” Participants, high on the fumes, tear off their 
clothes and writhe on the floor. Sexual acts are implied 
but not described by Huysmans; his two characters who 
are witnesses become disgusted and exit the scene. 

The HELL-FiRE CLUB, a fraternal group in London in 
the late 19th century, was said to perform a Black Mass 
regularly in worship of the Devil, though it is more likely 
that the rites were little more than sexual escapades with 
liberal quantities of alcohol. 

In the 20th century, the Black Mass became a staple 
of Devil worship novels and films. One of the most in- 
fluential fictions was the 1934 novel The Devil Rides Out 
by Dennis Wheatley, with a black magician character, 
Morcata, modeled on ALEISTER CROWLEY. The novel was 
made into a film in 1968 by Hammer Films of England, 
during a time of occult revival and the birth of Witch- 
craft, or Wicca, as a religion. Black Masses are not part of 
modern Witchcraft, or Wicca, which emphasizes rituals 
composed of ceremonial magic and reconstructed pagan 
seasonal rites. 

The occult revival that began in the 1960s saw the 
birth of contemporary SATANISM as a religious practice, 
with varying views on the Black Mass. Satanic cults born 
of social rebellion also instituted Black Masses as a form 
of social shock. 


Aleister Crowley on the Black Mass 

In 1947, a Black Mass was performed at the graveside of 
Aleister Crowley during his funeral. During life, Crowley 
was described as practicing “black magic” and perform- 


ing satanic rituals. However, he stated emphatically that 
he despised black magic and could never perform a Black 
Mass, which was an abuse of spiritual power. 

Crowley’s rituals were “anti-Christian”; that does not 
make them “satanic.” For example, he wrote a Gnostic 
Mass that remains a central ritual in the Ordo Templi Ori- 
entis magical order, of which he was head in England. 

In 1933, the London Sunday Dispatch newspaper pub- 
lished an article by Crowley on black magic. In it he com- 
mented on the Black Mass: 


In Paris, and even in London, there are misguided people 
who are abusing their priceless spiritual gifts to obtain 
petty and temporary advantages through these practices. 

The “Black Mass” is a totally different matter. 

I could not celebrate it if 1 wanted to, for I am not a 
consecrated priest of the Christian Church. 

The celebrant must be a priest, for the whole idea of 
the practice is to profane the Sacrament of the Eucharist. 
Therefore you must believe in the truth of the cult and 
the efficacy of its ritual. 

A renegade priest gathers about him a congregation 
of sensation-hunters and religious fanatics; then only 
can the ceremonies of profanation be of extended black 
magical effect. 

There are many ways of abusing the Sacrament. 
One of the best known of which is the “Mass of Saint 
Secaire,” the purpose of which is to cause an enemy to 
wither away. 

At this “mass,” always held in some secret place, 
preferably in a disused chapel, at midnight, the priest 
appears in canonical robes. 

But even in his robes there is some sinister change, a 
perversion of their symbolic sanctity. 

There is an altar, but the candles are of black wax. 
The crucifix is fixed the head downwards. 

The clerk to the priest is a woman, and her dress, 
although it seems to be a church garment, is more like a 
costume in a prurient revue. It has been altered to make 
it indecent. 

The ceremony is a parody of the orthodox Mass, with 
blasphemous interpolations. 

The priest must be careful, however, to consecrate 
the Host in the orthodox manner. The wine has been 
adulterated with magical drugs like deadly nightshade 
and vervain, but the priest must convert it into the blood 
of Christ. 

The dreadful basis of the Mass is that the bread and 
wine have imprisoned the Deity. Then they are subjected 
to terrible profanations. 

Indescribable 

This is supposed to release the powers of evil and 
bring them into alliance. (It is rather the case of the 
mouse trying to make a friend of the cat!) 

In the congregational form of the Black Mass the 
priest, having finished his abominations—these are, 
quite frankly, indescribable—scatters the fragments 
of the Host on the floor, and the assistants scramble 
for the soiled fragments, the possession of which, they 


32 Blai, Adam Christian 


believe, will allow them to work their petty and mali- 
cious designs. 

My most memorable personal experience of the 
effects of black magic occurred when I was living in 
Scotland. The machinations of a degraded and outcast 
member of the Order caused my hounds to die, my ser- 
vants to become insane. The struggle lasted until the 
recoil of the current of hated caused the luckless sorcerer 
to collapse. 

The explanation of its effects is that, if you believe 
passionately enough in your will to do something, then 
power to achieve it will accrue to you. 


The Black Mass in Satanism 

When the Church of Satan was founded in 1966, the Black 
Mass was not included among the rituals. Its founder, An- 
ton Szandor Lavey, said it was outmoded. Church of Satan 
followers sometimes perform Black Masses as theatrical 
events. 

Other satanic groups have their own practices, and 
their own versions of the Black Mass. The Temple of 
Set, founded by Michael Aquino, embraces black magic 
as a form of self-benefit; elements of the Black Mass are 
incorporated into some of the rituals. The Order of the 
Nine Angles, founded by Stephen Brown, incorporates the 
Black Mass as part of its path of self-development. The 
blasphemy contained in it has not only mocked Christi- 
anity and Christ but also elevates Adolf Hitler as a “noble 
savior.” There are groups of “Traditional Secretive Sa- 
tanists,” who practice the Black Mass, and “Nontraditional 
Satanists,” many of whom place less emphasis on it. 

The formats of Black Masses vary with different 
groups. A Satanic Black Mass is conducted for obtaining 
and raising magical power. JESUS is cursed and Satan is 
exalted. A blasphemous mass, where the altar is a nude 
woman and the vagina is the tabernacle, is performed. 
If possible, a real host stolen from a Catholic Church is 
placed in the vagina in the midst of reciting distorted 
psalms with hot music and all kind of obscenities, curs- 
ing Jesus, and honoring Satan. The fake priest ends up 
having real sex with the woman with the host still in the 
vagina. A sexual orgy by the participants follows. 

Other elements may include drinking urine, blood, or 
wine from a human skull; shouting obscenities and the 
names of demons, especially Beelzebub; trampling a cross; 
reciting blasphemous prayers and psalms; and perform- 
ing other blasphemous acts. Supposedly, there are some 
practices of infant sacrifice and cannibalism, but these 
claims are doubtful. Animal sacrifices are more likely. 


FURTHER READING: 

Baroja, Julio Caro. The World of the Witches. Chicago: Uni- 
versity of Chicago Press, 1975. 

“Black Mass.” Available online. URL: http://www.religion- 
cults.com/Occult/Satanism/Satanism.htm#Black%20Mass. 
Downloaded February 2, 2008. 

“Black Mass.” Available online. URL: http:/Awww.satan 
heaven.com. Downloaded February 2, 2008. 


Crowley, Aleister. “Black Magic Is not a Myth.” From the 
Sunday Dispatch, July 2, 1933. Available online. URL: 
http://www.lashtal.com/nuke/module-subjects-viewpage- 
pageid-89.phtml. Downloaded February 2, 2008. 

The Encyclopedic Sourcebook of Satanism. Edited by James R. 
Lewis and Jesper Aagaard Petersen. Amherst, N.Y.: Pro- 
metheus Books, 2008. 

Huysmans, J. K. La-Bas. New York: Dover, 1972. 

LaVey, Anton Szandor. The Satanic Bible. New York: Avon 
Books, 1969. 

Russell, Jeffrey B. A History of Witchcraft. London: Thames 
and Hudson, 1980. 

Summers, Montague. The History of Witchcraft and Demonol- 
ogy. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, 1926. 


Blai, Adam Christian (1970— ) Therapist and demo- 
nologist. Adam Blai was born in Media, Pennsylvania, on 
August 23, 1970. After a brief near-fatal illness shortly 
after birth, he had an uneventful early childhood. A 
series of hypnopompic and hypnogogic dream experi- 
ences started at age five and continued, causing him to 
develop an interest in meditation, shamanism, and vari- 
ous models of mystical experiences. This led to an inter- 
est in psychology with research in brain structure and 
function, hypnosis, and clinical psychology. Blai has 
worked in outpatient settings as a therapist as well as in 
a forensic context, which have afforded experience with 
the full range of human experience and psychopathol- 
ogy. He has taught at a major state university as well as a 
small exclusive liberal arts school. 

Blai’s work in the paranormal started when he was 
an adviser to a university-based paranormal club, which 
led to work with the Roman Catholic Church. He is now 
a member of the INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EXOR- 
CISTS and speaks from the Roman Catholic perspective 
on demonology, POSSESSION, and EXORCISM. His case- 
work is predominantly within the church, with addi- 
tional work on cases with JOHN ZAFFIS and a few other 
experienced people in the paranormal research field. 
He has had extensive training in Europe under leading 
EXORCISTs such as GABRIELE AMORTH and JOSE ANTONIO 
FORTEA. 

Blai researches advances in paranormal activity detec- 
tion and theory, including the application of the Global 
Consciousness Project model to extreme paranormal 
manifestations. 


blood A source of power unleashed in ritual sacrifices 
to appease gods and conjure DEMONs and other spirits. 
Blood sacrifices are described in some GRIMOIRES, sup- 
posedly derived from ancient rituals calling for animal 
sacrifices to please God. 


Animal Blood 

Animal blood is used in folk CHARMs and spells. The 
blood of a black cat is said to cure pneumonia. A black 
hen beaten to death with a white cane will provide blood 


Brossier, Marthe 33 


that can be used in sympathetic magic: Smear the blood 
on a victim or his or her clothing to CURSE the victim with 
a death as agonizing as that of the hen. 

ALEISTER CROWLEY sacrificed animals in his magical 
rituals. In 1909, while working with his assistant, Vic- 
tor Neuberg, Crowley had a formidable encounter with a 
DEMON named CHORONZON. The demon was evoked in a 
ritual that involved slitting the throats of three pigeons 
and pouring their blood upon the sand. 


Human Blood 

Some sources of blood are considered to be more power- 
ful than others. Human blood is identified with the soul 
and carries the greatest power. Ingesting human blood is 
believed to confer the powers and strengths of the victim 
upon the conqueror. Possessing a few drops of a person's 
blood gives a witch or magician power over that person or 
enables the magician to harness that person’s emotional 
state. By the principles of sympathetic magic, a person 
may be bewitched or cursed. 

The blood of executed criminals is said to be a power- 
ful protector against disease and bad luck, because of the 
energy of resentment and fury, which is released upon ex- 
ecution. Spectators at public executions such as behead- 
ings sought to obtain the victims’ blood on handkerchiefs 
or bits of cloth for later use in magical rituals. 

Human blood also is used to seal pacts of oath and 
brotherhood. During the European witch hunts of the 
Inquisition, it was believed that witches signed blood 
PACTs with the Devil to pledge servitude and obedience 
to him. The magical power of a witch could be neutral- 
ized or destroyed by burning her blood in fire—hence 
the common European method of execution by burning 
at the stake—or a practice called “blooding.” The witch 
was scored above the breast and allowed to bleed, some- 
times to death. 

Human blood was believed to strengthen the founda- 
tions of buildings, and sometimes sacrificial victims were 
walled up in temples, forts, and other structures. 


Menstrual Blood 

Menstrual blood, which is linked to the phases of the 
Moon, is particularly potent. The blood of the Goddess, 
also called wine, milk, mead, and “wise blood,” appears 
universally in mythologies; it is drunk as a charm for wis- 
dom, fertility, regeneration, immortality, and healing. The 
blood of Isis, symbolized in an ambrosia drink, conferred 
divinity on pharaohs. According to ancient Taoism, red 
yin juice, as menstrual blood was called, conferred long 
life or immortality. 

Menstrual blood has a long history of being feared by 
men, and proscriptions have been given against associ- 
ating with, touching, or having sex with menstruating 
women, for their blood has the power to harm. Ancient 
Romans believed the touch of a menstruating woman 
could blunt knives, blast fruit, sour wine, rust IRON, and 
cloud MIRRORs. In the Old Testament, Leviticus 18:19 


states, “You shall not come near a woman while she is 
impure by her uncleanness to uncover her nakedness.” 
The Talmud instructs that husband and wife are to be 
sexually separated during menstruation and for a week 
later in order to ensure cleanliness. 

In Christianity, menstrual blood was believed to 
spawn DEMONs and to defile altars. Up to the late 17th 
century, menstruating women were forbidden to partake 
in communion or, in some cases, even to enter church. 


FURTHER READING: 

Cavendish, Richard. The Black Arts. New York: G. P Putnam’s 
Sons, 1967. 

Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witch- 
craft, and Wicca. 3rd ed. New York: Facts On File, 2008. 


bogey In English folklore a horrible evil spirit or hob- 
goblin, usually big and black, who scares children. The 
“Bogey-Man” or “Boogie-Man” arrives at night and appears 
in bedrooms and at the sides of beds. In appearance the 
bogey often looks like the dark silhouette of a man. 

The bogey is called the bwg (ghost) in Welsh, bogle 
in Scotland, and Boggelmann in German. Among other 
names are bug-a-boo, boo, bugbear, bock, and boggart. 
The Irish puca is similar. Bogey also is another name for 
the DEVIL. 


Botis (Otis) FALLEN ANGEL and 17th of the 72 SPIRITS 
OF SOLOMON. As a great president and earl of HELL, Botis 
commands 60 LEGIONs of DEMONs. He appears in the 
shape of an ugly viper but will take on human form with 
large teeth and horns when commanded to do so. He car- 
ries a sharp sword. He sees past, present, and future and 
reconciles friends and enemies. 


Brossier, Marthe (16th century) Fraudulent POSSES- 
SION case. Used as a vehicle for raising money from the 
gullible, Marthe Brossier’s alleged possession by BEELZE- 
BUB also served as a means for the Catholic Church to try 
to undercut the religious reform of the Huguenots, mem- 
bers of the Protestant Reformed Church of France. The 
case stands as the first where accusations of fraud in an 
alleged possession were backed up by detailed physical 
evidence. 

Reported as both the eldest and the youngest of four 
daughters of a poor draper in the town of Romorantin, 
Brossier first showed signs of unusual behavior at the age of 
25 in 1598. Still without a husband, she cut her hair, wore 
men’s clothing, screamed, and contorted. She attacked her 
friend Anne Chevion (also known as Chevreau) in a fit of 
jealousy, accusing Anne of bewitching her. Although no 
records exist detailing Anne’s fate, other possessed per- 
sons in Romorantin successfully used the WITCHCRAFT 
defense. Brossier’s career as a demoniac also may have 
been influenced by an account of the MIRACLE OF LAON. 
In any case, she demanded EXORCISM by her local priest 
and began exhibiting fits, impossible body contortions, 


34 Bruner 


a psychosomatic pregnancy, and, as in Laon, ravings by 
Beelzebub against the heresy of the Huguenots. 

Realizing the celebrity potential of her possession, 
Brossier and her family traveled the Loire valley, stopping 
in various towns for exorcisms and drawing large audi- 
ences. The physician Michel Marescot, who examined 
Brossier in 1599, unkindly described her tours as “fifteen 
months spent in carrying of her too [sic] and fro, like an 
Ape or a Beare, to Angers, Saulmur, Clery, Orleans and 
Paris.” 

In Orléans, Brossier obtained a certificate of genu- 
ine possession from the local priest. Not everyone was 
fooled, however, as administrators in Clery and Orléans 
posted documents forbidding any priest to exorcise “that 
fictitious spirit.” At Angers, Bishop Charles Miron tested 
Brossier on her reactions to holy water and sacred Latin 
texts, and she failed both examinations: She did not react 
to real holy water but to ordinary water, and the Latin, 
which caused more convulsions, was merely a line from 
Virgil’s Aeneid. Bishop Miron ordered Brossier and her 
family to return to Romorantin and stop playing tricks. 

Instead, in early March 1599, Brossier and her father 
went to Paris. Just a few days prior, the Paris parliament 
had passed the Edict of Nantes, giving official tolerance to 
both Catholic and Huguenot beliefs. The Brossiers sought 
refuge in the Capuchin monastery of Ste. Genevieve, 
where the monks began to exorcise Brossier immediately 
and broadcast Beelzebub’s anti-Huguenot diatribes. The 
exorcisms attracted huge crowds, and by the end of March, 
public feeling was so high that Henri De Gondy, bishop of 
Paris, intervened to verify Brossier’s possessed state. Both 
theologians and physicians examined Brossier, including 
Marescot, and all agreed on March 30 that Brossier was 
not possessed but merely ill; her symptoms were mainly 
counterfeit. 

On March 31, two of the doctors reexamined Brossier 
and found an insensitive spot between her thumb and in- 
dex finger. Believing it to be a DEVI’S MARK, they asked 
for a postponement of the earlier report and began to ex- 
orcise Brossier on April 1. The Capuchins called in an- 
other group of doctors on April 2, and on April 3 they 
proclaimed her genuinely possessed. But their efforts 
were too late. 

Fearing a breakdown of the edict, King Henri IV 
ordered a halt to the public exorcisms. Brossier was 
imprisoned for 40 days, and her copy of the Miracle 
of Laon was confiscated. Her convulsions gradually 
ceased. On May 24, Parliament ordered Brossier and her 
father to return to Romorantin, where the local judge 
was to check on her every two weeks. All was quiet un- 
til December, when Alexandre de la Rochefoucauld, the 
prior of St. Martin-de-Randan in Auvergne and a be- 
liever in Brossier’s possession, kidnapped her and took 
her to Avignon and finally to Rome to see the pope, all 
the while encouraging her anti-Huguenot performances. 
They arrived just in time for the Papal Jubilee of 1600, 


where Brossier contorted and was exorcized for the edi- 
fication of the tourists. 

Upon the advice of Henri IV and other clerics, the 
French cardinal d’Ossat stopped the Prior’s exhibitions, 
although Brossier continued to perform. According to 
an account by Palma Cayet in 1605, Brossier was still 
staging possession fits in Milan as of 1604 and acting 
as Beelzebub’s mouthpiece. That is the last record of her 
escapades. 


FURTHER READING: 

Ferber, Sarah. Demonic Possession and Exorcism in Early Mod- 
ern France. London: Routledge, 2004. 

Walker, D. P Unclean Spirits: Possession and Exorcism in 
France and England in the Late Sixteenth and Early Seven- 
teenth Centuries. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania 
Press, 1981. 


Bruner (Burner), Theobald and Joseph (19th century) 
French case considered a classic example of demonic 
POSSESSION and EXORCISM. Two brothers, Theobald and 
Joseph Bruner of Illfurt (Ilfurth), Alsace, exhibited all 
the accepted signs of diabolic interference—contortions, 
blasphemies, levitation, speaking in unknown languages, 
revulsion toward holy objects, and clairvoyance—while 
the DEVIL was successfully driven out through organized 
rituals. 

Theobald (Thiebaut), born in 1855, and Joseph, born 
in 1857, first began displaying unusual and frightening 
behavior in September 1865. Confined mostly to their 
beds for the next two years, the boys would entwine 
their legs, sometimes every two or three hours, in knots 
so tight that no human pressure could unentangle them. 
They would stand on their heads for hours, bend com- 
pletely backward; become rigid; and undergo attacks of 
vomiting, expelling great quantities of yellow foam, sea- 
weed, and foul-smelling feathers. 

The boys levitated as well, rising upward while re- 
maining seated or in bed. Sometimes their mother, seated 
on the bed while it rose off the floor, would be thrown 
into the corner. Their room was unbearably hot, although 
no stove was lit; only by sprinkling holy water on the bed 
did the room’s temperature return to normal. Furniture 
flew about the room, the drapes would fall down by them- 
selves, and the windows would burst open. The entire 
house shook, as if from an earthquake. 

More disturbing were the boys’ increasing fascination 
with the Devil and hatred of holy objects. They would 
draw devilish faces on the walls by their bed and talk 
to them. Rosaries or sacred relics placed on or under 
their bed would send the boys into hysterical fits, hid- 
ing under the covers and screaming blasphemies. The 
blessed host was particularly loathsome, and pictures of 
the Virgin Mary, or even the mention of her name, drove 
the boys crazy. According to the records kept by the lo- 
cal priest, Father Karl (Charles) Brey, if a “clergyman or 
pious Catholic visited the house, the possessed children 


Busyasta 35 


crawled hastily under a table or bed, or jumped out the 
window.” But when someone of less fervent faith entered, 
the boys were delighted, proclaiming, “That one is one of 
ours. They should all be like that!” 

The final proof of their possession was the boys’ ability 
to speak in foreign languages—English, Latin, and vari- 
ous Spanish dialects—unknown to them and to display 
paranormal, or clairvoyant, knowledge of outside events. 
Father Brey told that two hours before one woman died, 
Theobald knelt in his bed and acted as if he were ringing 
a mourning bell. On another occasion, Theobald rang his 
imaginary mourning bell for an entire hour, claiming it 
was for the death of Gregor Kunegel. Kunegel’s daughter 
happened to be in the house and angrily denied her fa- 
ther’s death, protesting that he was not even ill but work- 
ing as a mason on a new seminary building. Theobald 
answered that the man had fallen, as indeed he had, and 
broken his neck. 

It was about four years until the Bruners and Father 
Brey agreed on a diagnosis of demonic possession and 
convinced Father Brey’s bishop to approve an exorcism. 
Finally, Theobald was sent to the St. Charles Orphan- 
age at Schiltigheim, near Strasbourg, on October 3, 1869. 
Held by three strong men and forced to stand before the 
altar, Theobald remained silent for three days (other ac- 
counts say two), only drooling a thick yellow froth. On 
the fourth day, he roared in a horrible voice that he had 
arrived and was furious. When the nun asked who had 
come, the Devil in Theobald answered, “I am the Lord 
of Darkness!” At that point, Theobald was placed in a 
straitjacket, as he began tearing his clothes and break- 
ing everything in reach. Finally, after the exorcist, Father 
Stumpf, again called upon the Virgin, Theobald screamed 
in agony and pitched forward in a deep sleep. When he 
became conscious, he was himself again and had no 
memory of the previous three days. 

Father Brey himself exorcized Joseph, also in the or- 
phanage, on October 27. After only three hours of frantic 
struggling and screaming, the Devil released him. As was 
Theobald, Joseph was surprised to find himself in church 
and did not remember his ordeal. 

Unfortunately, the boys did not live long, peaceful 
lives. Theobald died two years later, at age 16, while Jo- 
seph died in 1882 at age 25. 


FURTHER READING: 
Oesterreich, Traugott K. Possession and Exorcism. Secaucus, 
NJ: University Books, 1966. 


Buer (DICTIONNAIRE INFERNAL) 


Buer FALLEN ANGEL and the 10th of the 72 SPIRITS OF 
SOLOMON. Buer is a president in HELL, where he governs 
more than 50 LEGIONs of DEMONs. He appears when the 
Sun is in Sagittarius. He teaches moral and natural phi- 
losophy, the logical arts, and the virtues of all herbs and 
plants. Buer heals all distempers and gives good FAMIL- 
IARs. 


Buriel DEMON and a wandering duke of the air. Buriel 
has many dukes and servants to do his bidding. All are 
evil and are hated by other spirits. They must be sum- 
moned at night because they hate the day. When they 
appear, they have the form of a SERPENT with a virgin’s 
head and speak with a man’s voice. Buriel’s major 12 
dukes are Merosiel, Almadiel, Cupriel, Sarviel, Casbriel, 
Nedriel, Bufiel, Futiel, Drusiel, Camiel, Drubiel, and 
Nastros. 


Busyasta In ZOROASTRIANISM, the DEMON of lethargy, 
long sleep, and sloth. Busyasta is a female demon with 
yellow, jaundiced skin and long claws. She makes men 
oversleep and neglect their religious duties. 


Cabariel DEMON among the 31 AERIAL SPIRITS OF SOL- 
OMON. Cabariel is a prince of the west and north, with 
50 attending dukes during the day and 50 more at night. 
Each duke has 50 servants, who appear when the dukes 
are summoned. The daytime dukes and servants are 
good-natured, but the nighttime demons are deceitful, 
disobedient, and evil. The 10 most important dukes of 
the day are Satifiel, Parius, Godiel, Taros, Asoriel, Eti- 
miel, Clyssan, Elitel, Aniel, and Cuphal. The 10 most 
important dukes of nighttime are Mador, Peniet, Cugiel, 
Thalbus, Otim, Ladiel, Morlas, Pandor, Cazul, and 
Dubiel. 


Cagliostro, Count 
HELENE. 


See DORIS FISCHER OBSESSION; SMITH, 


Caim (Caym, Camio) FALLEN ANGEL and 52nd of the 
72 SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. Prior to his fall, Caim was in the 
order of ANGELs. In HELL, he is a great president with 30 
LEGIONS of DEMONS. He appears first as a black bird or 
thrush and then as a man carrying a sharp sword. Some- 
times he appears as a man adorned with a tuft and a pea- 
cock’s tail. He answers questions in burning ashes. He is 
good at settling disputes. He gives men the understand- 
ing of the songs of birds, the lowing of cattle, the barking 
of dogs, and the voice of waters. He gives true answers 
about the future. Martin Luther reportedly had an 
encounter with Caim. 


36 


Calder, Andrew (1965-— ) Evangelical Episcopalian 
priest and EXORCIST. Andrew Calder is the founder and 
director of the Georgia Paranormal Research Team, 
which investigates hauntings and demonic cases. Calder 
once lived in a haunted home, where he experienced 
paranormal phenomena. He has worked as a law 
enforcement officer for city and state agencies, and as a 
private investigator, specializing in video surveillance. 
He is an ordained priest with the Communion of Evan- 
gelical Episcopal Churches. Calder has appeared on 
reality television programs in connection with demonic 
cases and has also been featured in documentaries and 
docudramas. 


Camuel DEMON among the 31 AERIAL SPIRITS OF SOLO- 
MON. Camuel is the third-ranking spirit of the east and 
rules as the king of the southeast regions of the world. He 
is attended by numerous spirits, of which 10 daytime 
spirits and 210 nighttime spirits are significant. His 9 
most significant attendants are Camyel, Omyel, Budiel, 
Elcar, Citgara, Pariel, Cariel, Neriel, and Daniel. Ten of 
his nighttime servants will also appear during the day: 
Asimiel, Calim, Dobriel, Nodar, Phaniel, Meras, Aszemo, 
Tediel, Moriel, and Tugaros. Camuel and his attendants 
all appear in beautiful form and are courteous. 


Carnesiel DEMON among the 31 AERIAL SPIRITS OF SOL- 
OMON. Carnesiel is chief emperor of the east and com- 


Cassian, þhn 37 


mands 1,000 great dukes, 100 lesser dukes, and 
50,000,000,000,000 ministering spirits. His 12 most 
important demonic dukes are Myrezyn, Omich, Zabriel, 
Bucafas, Benoham, Arifiel, Cumeriel, Vadriel, Armany, 
Capriel, Bedary, and Laphor. Carnesiel can appear day or 
night. When he does so, he is attended by an entourage 
of his dukes numbering no fewer than 10 and no more 
than 300. 


Caspiel DEMON among the 31 AERIAL SPIRITS OF SOLO- 
MON. Caspiel is the chief emperor of the south, who rules 
over 200 great dukes, 400 lesser dukes, and 
1,000,200,000,000 ministering spirits. His 12 most 
important dukes are Ursiel, Chariet, Maras, Femot, 
Dudarion, Camory, Larmot, Aridiel, Geriel, Ambri, Car- 
nor, and Oriel. Each of the 12 dukes is attended by 2,660 
lesser dukes. All of the dukes are stubborn and churlish, 
but many attend Caspiel when he appears. 


Cassian, John (ca. 360-433) Abbot; father of the 
church. Like St. ANTHONY, who preceded him in the 
same century, John Cassian was a significant early author 
on the nature and characteristics of DEMONs and the rem- 
edies against them. However, the church ultimately 
rejected his work as apocryphal. 


Life 

Cassian probably was born around the year 360; the place 
is uncertain. Among the possibilities suggested are Gaul, 
Syria, Palestine, and Scythia. Nothing is known about 
him until 380, when he, at age 20, and his friend Germa- 
nus became monks at Bethlehem, in a monastery near the 
place of the nativity. 

They stayed there until about 385, then left for Egypt, 
spending about 15 years traveling throughout Lower 
Egypt and the Nile delta, staying with the most famous 
monks and anchorites. Cassian kept a journal, recording 
everything he saw with a vivid style and minute accuracy, 
a sense of humor, and an eye for the picturesque. 

They left Egypt for Constantinople, where Bishop St. 
John Chrysostom ordained Germanus a priest and Cas- 
sian a deacon. In 405, after Chrysostom was deposed, 
they went to Rome, carrying a letter to Pope St. Innocent 
I (r. 401-17) from the clergy of Constantinople protest- 
ing this act. In Rome, Cassian was ordained a priest. Ten 
years later, he was in Marseilles (Germanus disappeared 
in the interim), where he founded and served as abbot of 
the monastery of St. Victor for men and the convent St. 
Savior for women. 

Asked by a neighboring bishop, Castor of Apt, to com- 
pile a summary of all he had observed and learned during 
his travels, Cassian composed a 12-volume work, Rem- 
edies for the Eight Deadly Sins, which describes the rules 
and organization of communities in Egypt and Palestine, 
and of the means used by the monks in their spiritual 
combat against the eight chief obstacles to a monk’s per- 


fection. (See SEVEN DEADLY SINS.) He was not unduly im- 
pressed by extreme asceticism and did not recommend it 
for the monasteries of the West. Instead, he held that per- 
fection was to be achieved through the charity and love 
that make humans most like God. 

Cassian’s next work was Conferences on the Egyptian 
Monks, in which he relates discussions he and Germ- 
anus had with the monks. The doctrine he expressed 
was unorthodox, giving too much importance to free 
will and not enough to divine grace. Conferences was 
publicly criticized but was still highly popular and in- 
fluential. Even St. Benedict prescribed it as one of the 
books to be read aloud by his monks after their evening 
meal. 

About 430, Cassian was commissioned by the future 
pope St. Leo to write the seven-volume On the Incarna- 
tion of the Lord, a critique of the Nestorian heresy, which 
put forth the idea that Christ had existed as two separate 
beings, one divine and one human. This hastily written 
book assisted in the condemnation of Nestorius by the 
Council of Ephesus in 431. 

Cassian died in Marseilles, France, on July 23, about 
the year 433. After his death, Conferences was declared 
apocryphal by a decree attributed to Pope St. Gelasius I 
(r. 492-96). In 529, Cassian himself was condemned by a 
church council. 


Cassian’s Views on Demons and the Devil 

Cassian said that there are three origins of all of hu- 
man thoughts: God, the DEVIL, and ourselves. Thoughts 
from God lift us up to a higher state of spiritual progress. 
Thoughts from the Devil try to destroy people with the 
pleasures of sin and secret attacks and deceitful guises 
such as purporting to be from “angels of light” who try to 
show that evil is good. 

Cassian’s demons, as do those of Anthony, resemble 
the Greek DAIMONES, who inhabit the air and have su- 
pernatural powers. The very air is thick with them, and 
it is fortunate that they are invisible to people, for the 
dread of seeing them would drive men to insanity. The 
demons are similar to humans, with similar thoughts 
and perceptions, and detect a person’s inner weaknesses 
and vulnerabilities by observing his or her external 
behavior. 

Books 7 and 8 of Conferences concern conversations 
with Abbot Serenus, and there is much discussion of de- 
mons. Serenus, through his faith, fasting, and prayer, 
suppressed his sexual desires and could resist demonic 
seduction. According to Serenus, demons cannot take 
over and unite with the inner spirit of humans, but 
they can seize upon the natural inclinations that reside 
within and use those to incite impure thoughts. For ex- 
ample, if demons see a natural tendency toward glut- 
tony, they will use that to their advantage. First, demons 
must take over the mind and thoughts before they can 
take over a body. 


38 Cerberus 


Not every demon can incite every sin within a per- 
son, Cassian said. Demons have their specialties and find 
opportunities to use them. Likewise, the demons cannot 
incite many sins at the same time but rather focus on one 
or two in any particular time. Demons also vary in their 
individual strength and capability. Weaker demons start 
first and are replaced by stronger demons the more a per- 
son is able to resist. 

Demons cannot afflict anyone of his or her own free 
will but only with the permission of God, Cassian said. 
They are not invincible. They have their own anxieties 
and uncertainties in their battles against people. When 
defeated, they retreat in confusion and despair. Cassian 
said that even by his time, the power of demons had di- 
minished from the time of the first monks in the des- 
ert. Those monks could not dare to sleep all at the same 
time at night, lest demons descend upon them. There are 
many terms and names for demons, he said, too many 
to list: 


But it would take too long to search through the whole 
of Scripture and run through the different kinds of them, 
as they are termed by the prophets onocentaurs, satyrs, 
sirens, witches, howlers, ostriches, urchins; and asps and 
basilisks in the Psalms; and are called lions, dragons, 
scorpions in the gospel, and are named by the Apostle 
the prince of this world, rulers of this darkness, and 
spirits of wickedness. 


Importance of Cassian’s Views 

Cassian reinforced the beliefs that demons are every- 
where striving to attack people, that they have the ability 
to influence people’s thoughts and desires, and that they 
can be thwarted by prayer, fasting, the sign of the cross, 
and the invocation of the name of Christ. 

Cassian added a great deal of force to the connection 
between demons and MAGIC. The magical arts, taught by 
the WATCHERS to the “daughters of Cain,” were subverted 
under the influence of demons to profane uses. The “curi- 
ous arts of wizards and enchantments and magical super- 
stitions” were used to teach people to “forsake the holy 
worship of the Divinity and to honor and worship either 
the elements or fire or the demons of the air.” 

Magic survived the flood because of Ham, the son of 
Noah, who learned the magical arts from the daughters 
of Cain. Ham knew that Noah would never allow magical 
books aboard the ark, so Ham inscribed the secrets on 
metal plates and rocks that could not be destroyed by the 
flood waters. Cassian said, “And when the flood was over 
he hunted for them with the same inquisitiveness with 
which he had concealed them, and so transmitted to his 
descendants a seed-bed of profanity and perpetual sin.” 


FURTHER READING: 

Ankarloo, Bengt, and Stuart Clark, gen. eds. The Athalone 
History of Witchcraft and Magic in Europe. London: Ath- 
lone Press, 1999. 


Cassian, John. The Conferences of John Cassian. Translated 
and annotated by Edgar C. S. Gibson. Available online. 
URL: http://www.osb.org/lectio/cassian/conf/book1/conf7. 
html#7.0. Downloaded February 3, 2008. 


Cerberus (Kerberos) Triple-headed dog or doglike 
creature who guards the entrance to Hades, the Greek 
underworld. Not originally a “demonic” creature, Cer- 
berus became the model for the Hellhounds of the DEVIL 
and other BLACK DOGS in folklore. 

In classical myth, Cerberus is the offspring of Ty- 
phon, a dragon and SERPENT-shaped monster associated 
with wind and volcanic eruptions. Typhon fathered many 
of the beasts of Greek legend, including Echidna, a half- 
woman, half-serpent. Cerberus lives in a den on one side 
of the river Styx that separates the land of the living from 
the land of the dead. There, he greets the shades of the 
newly dead as they are ferried across the river by Charon. 
Cerberus is unpredictable in his friendliness or hostil- 
ity; therefore, the dead are buried with honey cake of- 
ferings for the shades to give him, which guarantee his 
friendliness. 

As gatekeeper to the underworld, Cerberus also pre- 
vents shades from escaping. He figures in numerous 
myths of descent to the underworld, including the labors 
of Hercules and Orpheus’ foiled rescue attempt of his 
lover, Eurydice. 

In Homeric poems, Cerberus is “the dog.” Hades gives 
Hercules permission to take him up from the river Ache- 
ron provided he can quell the beast without weapons. 
Hercules descends accompanied by Mercury and Mi- 
nerva, wrestles the dog into submission, and takes him 
to Eurystheus, king of Tiryns. Saliva drips from Cerberus 
and creates the poison aconite. 

Hesiod, a Greek poet ca. the eighth century B.C.E., 
was the first writer known to have called Cerberus by a 
proper name. Hesiod described the beast as having 50 
heads. 

By the time of the Roman poets, Cerberus had evolved 
into a three-headed dog with a dragon’s neck and tail and 
serpent’s heads along his back. Virgil (70-19 B.C.E.) pro- 
vided the most detailed description of Cerberus in book 
6 of the Aeneid, describing the underworld journey of 
Aeneas: 


Grim Cerberus, who soon began to rear 

His crested snakes, and arm’d his bristling hair. 

The prudent Sibyl had before prepar’d 

A sop, in honey steep’d, to charm the guard; 
Which, mix’d with pow’rful drugs, she cast before 
His greedy grinning jaws, just op’d to roar. 

With three enormous mouths he gapes; and straight, 
With hunger press’d, devours the pleasing bait. 
Long draughts of sleep his monstrous limbs enslave; 
He reels, and, falling, fills the spacious cave. 

The keeper charm’d, the chief without delay 

Pass’d on, and took th’ irremeable way. 


Choronzon 39 


Cerberus guarding the gates of Hades (AUTHOR’S COLLECTION) 


Cesmak (Cheshmak, Cheshmak the Karap) In Zoro- 
ASTRIANISM, the DEMON of whirlwinds and destruction. 
In the Denkart, Cesmak is a harlot with a body of gold 
and big breasts. She tries to seduce the prophet Zarathus- 
tra (Zoroaster) when he returns from a meeting with 
Ohrmadz in heaven, but he defeats her. 


charm In MAGIC, a spell or “little prayer” for something 
desirable. Charms may invoke the help of DEMONs. Popular 
charms are used to secure the love of another person, to 
find treasure or acquire riches, to have good luck, and so 
forth. The Catholic Church considers charms to be unde- 
sirable and acts that open the door to demonic influence, 
even POSSESSION, for either the person who makes the 
charm or the one for whom the charm is intended. The 
church advises that objects related to charms be destroyed. 
See AMULET. 


FURTHER READING: 

Fortea, Fr. Jose Antonio. Interview with an Exorcist: An Insid- 
ers Look at the Devil, Diabolic Possession, and the Path to 
Deliverance. West Chester, Pa.: Ascension Press, 2006. 


Choronzon (Coronzon) DEMON or spirit identified in 
the 16th century by John Dee and Edward Kelly, sum- 
moned in a dramatic ritual by ALEISTER CROWLEY in 
1909. Dee referred to “Coronzon,” or 333, in his Eno- 
chian communications with spirits; he did not consider 
it to be a demon. Crowley called Choronzon the Demon 
of Dispersions and of the Abyss. 

The account of Crowley’s evocation is full of drama; 
it is not known whether the events happened as objec- 
tive experiences or were experienced as visions. Crowley 
claimed to have conquered Choronzon to become a full 
Master of the Temple and Secret Chief. 

The evocation was performed in 1909. In November, 
Crowley and Neuberg went to Algiers on holiday and 
walked south through the desert to Aumale. There, Crow- 
ley was summoned by the voice of Aiwass, the entity who 
had dictated to him The Book of the Law, to “call Me.” He 
had with him the Enochian Keys of Dee and Kelly used 
to communicate with angels and spirits and felt he had 
received a divine message to use them. Crowley had suc- 
cessfully used the 19th Key or Call, the most difficult, 


40 Choronzon 


Choronzon (© RICHARD COOK) 


to access two of the 30 aethyrs or aires (levels or planes) 
of expanded consciousness. He decided to access the re- 
maining 28 aethyrs. 

Crowley and Neuberg went out into the desert to a 
mount and ascended it. To make the Call, Crowley held 
a vermilion-painted Calvary Cross with an engraved to- 
paz set in its axis. The topaz was engraved with a rose of 
49 petals. When his clairvoyant visions unfolded, Crow- 
ley dictated to Neuberg. They performed one aethyr a 
day, except for one day when they two performed. They 
started with the last-numbered aethyr and worked back- 
ward toward the first. 

Most of Crowley’s visions were apocalyptic in nature. 
In the 15th aethyr, he underwent an initiation to the mag- 
ical grade of Master of the Temple, a title that could be 
fully realized only by accessing the other aethyrs. How- 
ever, Crowley experienced great difficulty in trying to 
access the next, the 14th aethyr. After making several at- 
tempts, he stopped. 

He and Neuberg were on their way down the mount 
when Crowley suddenly was seized with the inspiration 
to perform a homosexual magic ritual with Neuberg and 
dedicate it to the Greek god of nature, Pan. They went 
back to the top of the mount, inscribed in the sand a 
magic circle protected with names and words of power, 
and made a crude stone altar. Crowley took the submis- 
sive role in the sexual act as a way of eliminating ego. The 
ritual marked a turning point for him in his view of the 
importance of sex in magic; he now saw it as a beneficial 
sacrament. 

The ritual also led to a breakthrough in conscious- 
ness, for later that evening, Crowley gained access to the 
14th aethyr. In his vision, he was informed that in order 
to attain his cherished goal of becoming a Secret Chief 
and Master of the Temple, he had to undergo the com- 
plete death of his ego and unite his spirit with the ocean 
of infinity. Only this way, could he cross the Abyss, the 


gulf that separates ordinary mortals from the Secret 
Chiefs. 

Crowley was able to resume his explorations of the 
other aethyrs, where he received revelation after revela- 
tion, laden with symbolism. In the llth aethyr, he was 
told that in the 10th aethyr he would have to make a 
conscious crossing of the Abyss, inhabited by a single 
entity, the demon Choronzon, the “first and deadliest of 
all the powers of evil,” a being composed of “complete 
negation.” 

The ritual for crossing the Abyss took place on De- 
cember 6, 1909, outside the town of Bou Saada. Crowley 
and Neuberg walked out into the desert until they found 
a valley that had a suitable floor of fine sand. They formed 
a circle of rocks, drew around it a magic circle, and then 
drew a magic triangle. The demon would be invoked into 
the triangle. The circle would protect Neuberg, who would 
sit within it, armed with a magical knife and a notebook 
for recording what happened. Crowley intended to enter 
the triangle, a dangerous act for a magician. He thus be- 
came perhaps the first magician in the Western magical 
tradition to offer his own body ritually as a vehicle for 
manifestation of a demon. 

Before the start of the ritual, Neuberg took an oath 
that he would defend the magic circle “with thoughts and 
words and deeds” and would use the knife to attack any- 
thing that entered it, even Crowley. 

Crowley apparently was not in the triangle when he 
invoked the aethyr, but was in a “secret place” out of the 
sight and hearing of Neuberg. After the invocation, Crow- 
ley entered the triangle. To help the demon materialize, 
he sacrificed three pigeons at the points of the triangle 
and sprinkled their BLOOD. He took care not to let a drop 
fall outside the triangle, for that would enable Choron- 
zon to manifest in the universe. When all the blood had 
soaked into the sand, he secretly recited the Call of the 
aethyr. He was in full trance. 

Neuberg records that he heard a voice, simulating 
Crowley’s voice, call out barbarous names and then blas- 
phemies. Visions appeared within the triangle. First, Neu- 
berg saw the form of a woman prostitute he had known 
in Paris. The “woman” tried to seduce him, but Neuberg 
resisted, figuring it was Choronzon in a shape-shifted 
form. The “woman” then offered submission, which he 
also rejected. The demon next turned into an old man, 
then a SERPENT, and then into Crowley, who begged for 
water. Neuberg held fast within the circle. 

Neuberg ordered Choronzon to declare his nature. 
The demon replied that he spat upon the name of the 
Most High. He was Master of the Triangle, who had no 
fear of the pentagram. He gave Neuberg words that the 
magician took as “great secrets of magic” but turned out 
to be worthless, a joke played by the demon. Neuberg in- 
voked Aiwass. Choronzon said that he knew the name 
of the angel and that “all thy dealings with him are but a 
cloak for thy filthy sorceries.” 


chthonic deites 41 


Ordered again to declare his true nature, Choronzon 
said his name was Dispersion and he could not be bested 
in argument. He uttered a rapid string of blasphemies 
that taxed Neuberg’s ability to record. While distracting 
the magician with blasphemies, Choronzon threw sand 
onto the magic circle. When the outline was sufficiently 
blurred, he took the form of a naked man and leaped into 
it, throwing Neuberg to the ground. The two fought furi- 
ously. The demon tried to tear out Neuberg’s throat with 
his froth-covered fangs. At last, Neuberg was able to force 
Choronzon back into the triangle, and he repaired the 
magic circle. 

Man and demon argued. Choronzon threatened Neu- 
berg with all the tortures of HELL, and Neuberg denounced 
the demon as a liar. After a long time at this, the demon 
suddenly vanished, leaving Crowley alone in the circle. 
Crowley traced the word Babalon in the sand, and the rit- 
ual was over. He and Neuberg built a fire for purification 
and ritually destroyed the circle and triangle. 

Neuberg maintained that he had literally wrestled 
with Choronzon, and not with Crowley possessed by 
the demon. Some occultists have posited that Crowley 
somehow exuded an ectoplasm that enabled the demon 
to make a form tangible enough to fight with Neuberg. 
Another explanation advanced is that the entire experi- 
ence was visionary. Whatever the truth, both Crowley 
and Neuberg felt that Crowley had beaten the demon and 
achieved the status of Master of the Temple and Secret 
Chief. Crowley’s new vision of himself was as teacher and 
prophet who was to indoctrinate the world with the phi- 
losophy of The Book of the Law. 

Associates of Crowley said the ritual permanently 
damaged him and that he was possessed by Choronzon 
for the rest of his life. 


FURTHER READING: 

King, Francis. Megatherion: The Magickal World of Aleister 
Crowley. London: Creation Books, 2004. 

Symonds, John, and Kenneth Grant eds. The Confessions of 
Aleister Crowley, an Autobiography. London: Routledge & 
Kegan Paul, 1979. 


chthonic deities In classical mythology, the dreaded 
deities of the underworld, who are so feared that they 
usually are nameless and are called only by euphemisms. 
They often appear in the form of SERPENTs, which are 
associated with tombs and death. Chthonic deities origi- 
nally were ancestral spirits who represented the ghosts 
of the dead. They were worshipped by propitiation and 
sacrifice. 

As rulers of the underworld, chthonic deities torment 
souls of the death and reign over chaos, darkness, gloom, 
and evil spirits (see DEMONs). As Christianity overtook 
pagan beliefs, the chthonic deities became associated in- 
creasingly with evil and the DEVIL. 

The greatest and most feared chthonic god is Hades, 
the Greek King of the Dead, who owns a cap that makes 


the wearer invisible. Hades is uncompassionate but not 
evil. He seldom leaves his gloomy realm of the under- 
world. His name became synonymous with HELL. The Ro- 
mans also associated him with the minerals of the earth 
and called him Pluto, the god of wealth. 

Hades rules the underworld with his queen, Perse- 
phone. According to myth, Persephone was a lovely 
maiden of spring, the daughter of Demeter, goddess of 
corn and the harvest. Hades desired her and one day rose 
up out of a chasm in the earth in his chariot drawn by 
black horses, kidnapped her, and took her to the under- 
world. In her grief, Demeter caused all things on Earth to 
wither and die. Other gods entreated her to relent, but she 
refused in anger. Finally, Zeus intervened and ordered 
Hades, his brother, to return Persephone to Earth. Hades 
acquiesced but first made Persephone eat a pomegranate 
seed, which bound her to him forever. As a compromise, 
Persephone returned to Earth each spring, producing a 
flowering of the planet, and went back to Hades each fall, 
causing the death of winter. 

Other chthonic entities are the three ERINYES (Fu- 
ries), called Tisiphone, Megaera, and Alecto, who relent- 
lessly pursued and punished the sinners of the Earth; 
and Thanatos, god of death, and his brother, the god of 
sleep. From the god of sleep, the “little death,” issued 
dreams, which rose up from the underworld in two 
forms: true dreams, which passed through a gate of horn, 
and false dreams, which passed through a gate of ivory. 
The Greeks and Romans placed a great deal of impor- 
tance on the meaning of dreams, especially information 
of a prophetic or oracular nature. 

The descriptions of the classical underworld are most 
vivid in the writings of the Roman poet Virgil and the 
Greek poet Homer. To Homer, the underworld is a shad- 
owy place where nothing is real. To Virgil, it is more 
realistic, a place where sinners are tormented and the 
good enjoy rewards and delights. Virgil gave descrip- 
tions of the terrain of the underworld, and the means 
by which souls entered. A path led to two rivers, the 
first of which was Acheron, the river of woe, which then 
emptied into Cocytus, the river of lamentation. There, 
an old boatman named Charon ferried souls across the 
waters, but only those whose passage was paid, by coins 
placed upon the lips of the corpses by the living and 
who were properly buried. Three other rivers separated 
the underworld: Phlegethon, the river of fire; Styx, the 
river of the unbreakable oath sworn to by the gods; and 
Lethe, the river of oblivion or forgetfulness. (Souls re- 
turning to Earth to be reborn were required to drink of 
the waters of Lethe, so that they would not remember 
their previous lives.) 

The gate of Hades is guarded by a three-headed, 
dragon-tailed dog, CERBERUS, whose chief job was to pre- 
vent any souls from leaving once inside. Hades himself 
lived in a huge palace somewhere in the gloom of the un- 
derworld, surrounded by cold and wide wastes. 


42 Church of Satan 


Hecate is a powerful goddess with chthonic associa- 
tions, who became the patron of magic and WITCHCRAFT. 
Hecate has three aspects: goddess of fertility and plenty, 
goddess of the Moon, and queen of the night, ghosts, and 
shades. 

Hecate possesses infernal power, roaming the earth 
at night with the WILD HUNT, a pack of red-eyed hell- 
hounds and a retinue of dead souls. She is visible only 
to dogs, and if dogs howl in the night, it means Hecate is 
about. She is the cause of nightmares and insanity and is 
so terrifying that many ancients referred to her only as 
“The Nameless One.” She is the goddess of the dark of the 
Moon, the destroyer of life, but also the restorer of life. In 
one myth, she turns into a bear or boar and kills her own 
son, then revives him to life. In her dark aspect, she wears 
a necklace made of testicles; her hair is made of writhing 
snakes, which, as do the snakes of Medusa, petrify those 
who gaze upon them. 

Hecate is the goddess of all CROSSROADS, gazing in 
three directions at the same time. In ancient times, sorcer- 
ers gathered at crossroads to pay homage to her and such 
infernal servants as the Empusa, a hobgoblin; the Cercop- 
sis, a poltergeist; and the Mormo, a GHOUL. Three-headed 
statues of her were set up at many road intersections, and 
secret rites were performed under a full Moon to appease 
her. Statues of Hecate carrying torches or swords also were 
erected in front of homes to keep evil spirits at bay. 

Many of the heavenly deities of Mount Olympus have 
chthonic aspects, such as Zeus and Hermes, but are not 
feared as much as the underworld deities. Hermes, the 
swift-footed messenger god, escorts the souls of the dead 
to the underworld, and souls ready to be reborn back to 
the land of the living. Demeter also has chthonic aspects, 
because of her relationship with Persephone. 

Church of Satan See SATANISM. 

Cimeries FALLEN ANGEL and 66th of the 72 SPIRITS OF 
SOLOMON. Cimeries rules 20 LEGIONs of DEMONS as a mar- 
quis in HELL. He also rules spirits in Africa. He appears 
as a valiant soldier riding a black horse. He teaches gram- 
mar, logic, and rhetoric. He finds lost objects and buried 
treasures. 


Colas, Antide (d. 1599) | Woman accused of WITCHCRAFT 
and having sex with SATAN. Arrested and tried at Dole, 
France, Antide Colas was examined by a surgeon, Nicolas 
Milliere, who found a hole below her navel. Colas con- 
fessed that the DEVIL, whom she called Lizabet, had inter- 
course with her through this hole. She also said that when 
the Devil lay down beside her, if she did not do as he asked, 
he made her twitch and tremble, and he pricked her left 
side. Colas was executed by burning in Dole in 1599. 


Cole, Ann A woman involved in a POSSESSION case in 
Hartford, Connecticut, that astonished her townspeople 


and led to the execution of an accused witch. Ann Cole 
suddenly seemed to acquire preternatural knowledge of 
the malicious activities of the accused witch, who was a 
stranger to her. Increase Mather described Cole as “a 
person of real piety and integrity” in his account in An 
Essay for the Recording of Illustrious Providences (1684). 

In 1662, Cole was living in the house of her father— 
described as “a godly man”’—when she began having bi- 
zarre fits, “wherein her Tongue was improved by a Dae- 
mon to express things which she herself knew nothing 
of,” Mather wrote. Sometimes the discourses went on 
for hours. Cole named persons and described how they 
intended to carry out “mischievous designs” against her 
and others, by afflicting bodies and spoiling names. 

At times, Cole lapsed into gibberish. Then she began 
speaking English with a precise Dutch accent, describing 
how a woman who lived beside a Dutch family had been 
afflicted by a strange pinching of her arms at night. 

One of the persons named by Cole was a “lewd and 
ignorant” woman named Rebecca Greensmith, who was 
in jail on suspicion of WITCHCRAFT. Greensmith had de- 
nied the charges against her but, when confronted by a 
written account of Cole’s discourses, was astonished and 
confessed everything. Greensmith said the Devit had 
first appeared to her in the form of a deer or fawn, skip- 
ping about her so that she would not be afraid, gaining 
her confidence. She had sex with the Devil on numerous 
occasions and had often accompanied him to SABBATs. She 
denied entering into a satanic PACT but said that the Devil 
had told her that they would attend a merry sabbat at 
Christmastime, during which she would sign a pact with 
him. Greensmith also said that witches had met at a place 
not far from her house, and that some of them arrived in 
the shapes of animals and crows. 

The confession was sufficient to convict Greensmith, 
and she was executed, probably by hanging. Her husband 
was also put to death, even though he said he was not 
guilty of any wrongdoing. The court apparently thought 
that since he was the woman’s husband, he could not help 
but be involved in her evil activities. 

A man and a woman also named by Cole were given 
the swimming test of being bound and thrown into wa- 
ter, a common test of a witch’s innocence or guilt. They 
neither floated nor sank but bobbed like buoys, half in 
and half out of the water. A witness protested that anyone 
with his or her hands bound to the feet would not sink 
(and therefore be guilty) and underwent the test him- 
self. He was lowered gently into the water, not thrown 
in, as were the accused, and promptly sank, proving his 
innocence. 

It is not known how many others named by Cole were 
tried and executed for witchcraft; some fled Hartford and 
were never seen again. Ann Cole eventually recovered 
and had no more fits. She resumed her life as “a serious 
Christian.” It is possible that her fits were a manifestation 
of latent psychic ability, a clairvoyance. It was a psychic 


Constantine 43 


window that opened suddenly, without encouragement, 
then closed as soon as the cases were laid to rest. 


Collin de Plancy, Jacques (1793-1887) 
nologist, occultist, and author. 

He was born Jacques Auguste Simon Collin de Plancy 
in 1793 in Plancy-l’Abbaye, France. He worked as a printer 
and publisher in Plancy-l’'Abbaye and Paris. Between 1830 
and 1837, he lived in Brussels; he then returned to France 
after practice of the Catholic religion was restored and 
lived there for the rest of his life. He died there in 1887. 

Interested in the occult and superstitions, Collin de 
Plancy wrote dozens of books under pseudonyms on divi- 
nation, magic, alchemy, SORCERY, and WITCHCRAFT. About 
80 volumes alone were devoted to superstitions. Prolific, 
he earned a comfortable living. 

His most famous, significant, and enduring work is 
the Dictionnaire Infernal, published under his real name 
in two volumes in 1818. The dictionary profiles DEMONs 
and gives short summaries of notable cases and trials of 
witchcraft and sorcery, as well as of ghosts and odd para- 


French demo- 


Collin de Plancey conversing with the Devil (AUTHOR’S 
COLLECTION) 


normal events. The dictionary went through several edi- 
tions. In 1863, the artist Louis Breton created a set of 69 
drawings, all but five of demons. They were engraved by 
M. Jarrault, and Collin de Plancy added them to his book. 
Most of the engravings were republished in S. L. Mac- 
Gregor Mathers’ The Goetia: The Lesser Key of Solomon, 
his translation of a famous grimoire. The illustrated dic- 
tionary remains one of the classic works of demonology. 

Other notable works by Collin de Plancy are History of 
Phantoms and Demons That Have Appeared to Men (1819, 
under the pseudonym Gabrielle de Plancy); Dictionary of 
Madness and Reason (1820); The Devil’s Self Portrait, or a 
Collection of Short Stories and Tales about the Adventures 
and the Character of Demons, Their Machinations, Their 
Misfortunes, Their Love Affairs and the Services That They 
Have Been Able to Render to Men (1825); and Legends of the 
Seven Deadly Sins (1864). 


FURTHER READING: 

Collin de Plancy, Jacques. Dictionary of Witchcraft. Edited 
and translated by Wade Baskin. Originally published 
as Dictionary of Demonology. New York: Philosophical 
Library, 1965. 


Constantine (2005) Horror/thriller film about an 
occult detective and EXORCIST who journeys to HELL to 
battle DEMONs and confronts LUCIFER. Directed by Fran- 
cis Lawrence, the film stars Keanu Reeves as John Con- 
stantine and Rachel Weisz as Angela Dodson, a detective 
for the Los Angeles Police Department. The film is 
loosely based on characters in the comic book series 
Hellblazer, published by Vertigo Comics. 

In the movie, Constantine’s background is that he was 
born with the ability to detect ANGELs and demons. Both 
beings are prohibited from interfering with the free will 
of humans, but half-breeds, humans mixed with either 
angels or demons, can do so. Constantine is regarded by 
his parents as insane. He commits suicide and goes to 
hell but is restored to life by doctors. He grows up know- 
ing that God and SATAN are both angry with him, and 
because of his suicide attempt, he is eventually doomed 
to hell. 

The film opens with a young man in Mexico who ac- 
cidentally finds the Nazi Spear of Destiny and becomes 
possessed by a supernatural force. He goes to Los Angeles, 
leaving destruction in his wake. Meanwhile, Constantine, 
now a heavy chain smoker, has terminal lung cancer. He 
exorcizes a powerful demon from a teenage girl. A men- 
tally disturbed girl commits suicide in the hospital where 
Constantine is being treated. Her twin sister, Angela Dod- 
son, goes to the hospital and encounters Constantine. A 
Catholic, she wants a church-sanctioned funeral for her 
sister, but the church refuses. Constantine seeks out an 
audience with the archangel Gabriel, a female entity, to 
ask why God does not forgive and heal him. 

Constantine sees that demons are pursuing Angela, 
and he discovers that she, as he can, can detect angels 


44 crossroads 


and demons. She has repressed this ability, and now he 
reawakens her to it. She takes him to meet Balthazar, a 
half-breed who is conspiring with the demon MAMMON 
to conquer the Earth, a task he can do only with the help 
of the Spear of Destiny. Mammon takes POSSESSION of 
Angela. 

Constantine struggles in vain to exorcize Angela. Ga- 
briel appears, bitter and disillusioned with humanity, and 
says she will release Mammon into the world. Constan- 
tine slashes his wrists, knowing that Lucifer will appear 
to collect his soul. When the DEVIL appears, time stops. 
Lucifer is enraged at Mammon’s plans and sends the de- 
mon back to hell. He burns Gabriel’s wings and the angel 
is reduced to a human state. 

Lucifer removes the cancer from Constantine’s lungs 
and abducts him to hell. Constantine is saved by Divine 
Light as a reward for his sacrifice of himself. He is re- 
turned to Earth and to Angela. The Spear of Destiny ap- 
pears, and Gabriel taunts Constantine to kill her with it. 
Instead, he punches her in the face. 

Constantine gives the spear to Angela and quits smok- 
ing, now in command of his fate. 


crossroads A place of magical power especially for 
conjuring spirits and DEMONs. The junctions of roads, 
where forces of energy cross, have been considered to 
have magical significance since ancient times. 

Crossroads are haunted by demons, FAIRIES, and evil 
spirits who lie in wait for unwary travelers and lead them 
astray. Crossroads are where witches and sorcerers gather 
for SABBATs, according to lore. Grass will not grow at 
crossroads where demons have danced. 

Some magical rituals are performed at crossroads, 
such as necromancy, the appearance of the GOLD-FINDING 
HEN, conjurations of spirits and demons, and sacrifices 
of animals. Crossroads also are places of confusion, and 
lore holds that one can evade evil spirits by running into 
a crossroads. 


Crowley, Aleister (1875-1947) English magician and 
occultist. Aleister Crowley was adept at dealing with 
spirits, including powerful DEMONs. Flamboyant and 
controversial, he practiced outrageous magic of sex, 
drugs, and sacrifice, yet made significant contributions 
to magic. 


Life 

He was born Edward Alexander Crowley on October 12, 
1875, in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. His father was 
a wealthy brewer and a “Darbyite” preacher, a member 
of a fundamentalist sect known as the Plymouth Breth- 
ren or Exclusive Brethren. Crowley’s parents raised him 
in an atmosphere of repression and religious bigotry. He 
rebelled to such an extent that his mother called him 
“the Beast” after the Antichrist, a name he delighted 
in using later in life, calling himself “the Beast of the 
Apocalypse.” 


Crowley was drawn to the occult and was fascinated 
by BLOOD, torture, and sexual degradation; he liked to 
fantasize being degraded by a “Scarlet Woman.” He com- 
bined these interests in a lifestyle that shocked others and 
reveled in the attention he drew. He was in his teens when 
he adopted the name Aleister. 

In 1887, Crowley’s father died and he was sent to a 
Darbyite school in Cambridge. His unhappy experiences 
there at the hands of a cruel headmaster made him hate 
the Darbyites. 

Crowley studied for three years at Trinity College at 
Cambridge but never earned a degree. He wrote poetry, 
engaged in an active bisexual sex life, and pursued his 
occult studies—the Great Work—the latter of which was 
inspired by The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts by AR- 
THUR EDWARD WAITE and The Cloud upon the Sanctuary 
by Carl von Eckartshausen. In his first volume of poetry, 
published in 1898, Crowley foreshadowed his occult ex- 
cesses with his statement that God and Satan had fought 
many hours over his soul. He wrote, “God conquered— 
now I have only one doubt left—which of the twain was 
God?” 

Crowley was in his third year at Trinity when he 
formally dedicated himself to magick, which he spelled 
with a k to “distinguish the science of the Magi from 
all its counterfeits.” He also pledged to “rehabilitate” it. 
He saw magic as the way of life, a path of self-mastery 
achieved with rigorous discipline of the will illumined by 
imagination. 

After leaving Trinity, Crowley took a flat in Chancery 
Lane, London. He named himself Count Vladimir and 
pursued his occult activities full-time. Stories of bizarre 
incidents circulated, perhaps fueled in part by Crowley’s 
mesmerizing eyes and aura of supernatural power. A 
ghostly light reportedly surrounded him, which he said 
was his astral spirit. One of his flat neighbors claimed 
to be hurled downstairs by a malevolent force, and visi- 
tors said they experienced dizzy spells while climbing the 
stairs or felt an overwhelming evil presence. 

In 1898, Crowley went to Zermatt, Switzerland, for 
mountain climbing. He met Julian Baker, an English oc- 
cultist, who in turn introduced Crowley back in London 
to George Cecil Jones, a member of the Hermetic Order 
of the Golden Dawn. At Jones’ invitation, Crowley was 
initiated into the order on November 18, 1898. He took 
the magical motto Frater Perdurabo (1 will persevere). He 
used other names, among them Mega Therion (the Great 
Wild Beast), which he used when he later attained the 
rank of Magus. 

Crowley was already skilled in magic when he joined 
the Golden Dawn, and its First Order bored him. He re- 
ceived instruction from Allan Bennett, whom he met in 
1899, and Samuel Liddell Macgregor Mathers, one of the 
founders of the Golden Dawn. Mathers taught Crowley 
Abremalin magic from an old manuscript, The Sacred 
Magic of Abra-Melin the Mage, which Mathers had trans- 


Crowley, Aleister 45 


Aleister Crowley (© RICHARD COOK) 


lated. Mathers believed the manuscript was bewitched 
and inhabited by an entity. The magic prescribed a rig- 
orous six-month program conducted in complete with- 
drawal from the world, after which the initiate would 
make talismans that would draw money, great sexual al- 
lure, and an army of phantom soldiers to serve at his dis- 
posal. Crowley intended to undergo this rite beginning at 
Easter 1900 at Boleskin Manor, his house in Scotland. 

His plans were disrupted by internal fighting in the 
Golden Dawn that led to Crowley’s expulsion from the 
order in 1900. He retaliated by publishing secret ritual 
material. 

From 1900 to 1903, Crowley traveled extensively, 
visiting the Far East and delving deeper into Eastern 
mysticism. 

In 1903, he married Rose Kelly, the first of his two 
wives. Kelly bore him one child, a daughter, Lola Zaza. 
Their honeymoon lasted several months. In 1904, they 
were in Cairo, where Crowley was attempting to conjure 
sylphs, the elementals of the air. While in Egypt, Crowley 
engaged in his most significant entity contact, with Ai- 
wass, described later. The contact influenced his life and 
work, to usher in the Aeon of Horus. 

Crowley had a prodigious sexual appetite and had 
numerous mistresses, some of whom he called “Scarlet 
Women” and some of whom bore him illegitimate chil- 
dren. He was fond of giving his women “Serpent Kisses,” 


using his sharpened teeth to draw blood. He branded 
some of his women and eventually abandoned all of them 
to drugs, alcohol, or the streets. Crowley tried unsuccess- 
fully to beget a “magical child.” He fictionalized these ef- 
forts in his novel Moonchild (1929). 

Rose descended into alcoholism, and in 1909 she di- 
vorced Crowley on grounds of adultery. From late 1914 
to 1919, Crowley lived in the United States, where he 
was unsuccessful in rousing much interest in his mes- 
sage about the Aeon of Horus. He kept a record of his 
sexual activities, which he titled Rex de Arte Regia (The 
King of the Royal Art). Many of the prostitutes he hired 
had no idea that he was actually involving them in sex 
magic. He and his Scarlet Woman of the moment, Roddie 
Minor, performed sex magic and drug rituals—by then 
he was addicted to heroin—for the purpose of communi- 
cating with an entity, perhaps a demon, whom Crowley 
called “the wizard Amalantrah,” who existed on the as- 
tral plane. 

In 1916, Crowley initiated himself into the rank of 
Magus in a bizarre black magic rite in which he crucified 
a frog. 

In 1918, Crowley met Leah Hirsig, a New York school- 
teacher, who became his most famous Scarlet Woman. He 
called her “the Ape of Thoth.” They decided to found the 
Abbey of Thelema, a monastic community of men and 
women who would promulgate The Book of the Law, per- 
form magic, and be sexually free. 

In 1920, Crowley found an old abbey in Cefalu, Sic- 
ily, which he took over and renamed the Sacred Abbey 
of the Thelemic Mysteries. It served as the site for nu- 
merous sexual orgies and magical rites, many attended 
by his illegitimate children. Leah bore a daughter, Anne 
Leah, who died in childhood. In 1921, Crowley decided 
that he had attained the magical rank of Ipsissimus, 
equal to God. But in 1923, he was forced out of the abbey 
after a scandal involving the death of a follower, Raoul 
Loveday. 

In 1929, Crowley married his second wife, Maria Fer- 
rari de Miramar, in Leipzig. Her reputed magical powers 
led him to name her the “High Priestess of Voodoo.” They 
separated in less than a year when Crowley took up with 
a 19-year-old woman. Maria entered a mental institution, 
enabling Crowley to divorce her. 

Crowley’s later years were plagued by poor health, 
drug addiction, and financial trouble. He kept himself 
barely afloat by publishing nonfiction and fiction writ- 
ings. In 1934, desperate for money, Crowley sued the 
sculptress Nina Hammett for libel. Hammett had stated in 
her biography, Laughing Torso (1932), that Crowley prac- 
ticed black magic and indulged in human sacrifice. The 
English judge, jury, spectators and press were repulsed by 
the testimony in the trial. The judge stated he had “never 
heard such dreadful, horrible, blasphemous and abomi- 
nable stuff.” The jury stopped the trial and found in favor 
of Hammett. 


46 Crowley, Aleister 


In 1945, Crowley moved to Netherwood, a boarding 
house in Hastings, where he lived the last two years of his 
life, asthmatic, dissipated, and bored, consuming large 
amounts of heroin. He died of cardiac degeneration and 
severe bronchitis on December 1, 1947. He was cremated 
in Brighton. At his funeral, a Gnostic Mass was performed 
and his “Hymn to Pan” was read. His ashes were sent to 
followers in the United States. 

Numerous editions and collections of Crowley’s writ- 
ings have been published. Besides The Book of the Law, 
his other most notable work is Magick in Theory and Prac- 
tice (1929), considered by many occultists to be a superb 
work on ceremonial magic. The Equinox of the Gods (1937) 
reflects The Book of the Law. The Book of Lies features 91 
sermons and commentaries on each. The Book of Thoth 
(1944) presents his interpretation of the Tarot. The Thoth 
Tarot deck, inspired by Crowley, is one of the more popu- 
lar decks in modern use. 

Crowley’s work continues to inspire people, and The- 
lemic organizations exist around the world. He has in- 
spired artists in various fields. Posthumously, Crowley 
has perhaps gained more fame and credibility than he 
had during his life. He remains controversial to the ex- 
treme, vilified as a “satanic occultist” and praised as a 
brilliant magician. 


Entity Contacts 

Aiwass On March 18, 1904, Rose suddenly began trance 
channeling, receiving communications from the astral 
plane that the Egyptian god Horus was waiting for Crow- 
ley. The communicating messenger, Aiwass, was an im- 
posing entity described by Rose as an emissary for the 
Egyptian trinity of Horus, Osiris, and Isis. 

Crowley considered Aiwass to be his Holy Guardian An- 
gel, or divine Higher Self, acting as intermediary for higher 
beings such as the Secret Chiefs, superhuman adepts of the 
Golden Dawn. Occultists have debated whether Aiwass was 
an entity in its own right, or part of Crowley himself. For 
Crowley, the Holy Guardian Angel was a discrete entity and 
not a dissociated part of his own personality. Crowley origi- 
nally spelled the entity's name Aiwaz, then later changed 
the spelling to Aiwass for numerological reasons. 

Crowley envisioned Aiwass as a male entity, and one 
distinctly different and more unfathomable than other 
entities he had encountered. Answers to questions posed 
by Crowley indicated that Aiwass was 


... a Being whose mind was so different from mine that 
we failed to converse. All my wife obtained from Him 
was to command me to do things magically absurd. He 
would not play my game: I must play His. 


On April 7, 1904, Aiwass commanded that the draw- 
ing room of the Cairo apartment leased by the Crowleys 
had to be turned into a temple. Aiwass ordered Crowley 
to enter the temple precisely at noon on the next three 
days, and to write down exactly what he heard for pre- 
cisely one hour. 


Aiwass (© RICHARD COOK) 


Crowley followed the instructions. Inside the “tem- 
ple,” he sat alone at a table facing the southern wall. From 
behind him he heard the voice of Aiwass, which Crowley 
described as “a rich tenor or baritone ... deep timbre, 
musical and expressive, its tones solemn, voluptuous, 
tender, fierce, or aught else as suited the moods of the 
message.” The voice was “the Speech in the Silence,” he 
said. Later he called Aiwass “the minister of Hoor-Paar- 
Kraat,” or “the Lord of Silence,” an aspect of Horus that 
was the equivalent of the Greek Harpocrates. 

During the dictation, Crowley did not see a visual ap- 
parition of Aiwass, though he did have a mental impres- 
sion of the entity. Aiwass had 


. a body of “fine matter” or astral matter, transpar- 
ent as a veil of gauze or a cloud of incense-smoke. He 
seemed to be a tall, dark man in his thirties, well-knit, 
active and strong, with the face of a savage king, and 
eyes veiled lest their gaze should destroy what they saw. 


Further, Aiwass seemed dressed in the garb of an Assyr- 
ian or Persian. 

Crowley took Aiwass’ dictation for three hours on 
April 8-10, scribbling in longhand to keep pace with the 
voice. The sessions lasted exactly one hour each. The 65 
pages of handwritten material composed the Liber Legis, 
or The Book of the Law, which Crowley saw as the herald 


Crowley, Aleister 47 


of the New Aeon or a new religion. Each chapter carried 
the voice of an Egyptian deity: Nut, the goddess of the 
heavens, and two aspects of Horus, Ha-Kadit, a solar as- 
pect, and Ra-Hoor-Kuit, or “Horus of the Two Horizons.” 

For years, Crowley remained in awe of Aiwass. In The 
Equinox of the Gods, he acknowledged that he never fully 
understood the nature of Aiwass. He alternately called 
the entity “a God or Demon or Devil,” a praeterhuman 
intelligence, a minister or messenger of other gods, his 
own Guardian Angel, and his own subconscious (the last 
he rejected in favor of the Holy Guardian Angel). Crowley 
also said he was permitted from time to time to see Ai- 
wass in a physical appearance, inhabiting a human body, 
as much a material man as Crowley was himself. 

C. S. Jones, who ran the Vancouver, British Colum- 
bia, lodge of the Ordo Templi Orientis, said he under- 
went a series of magical initiations that revealed to him 
that Aiwass was in truth an evil demon and the enemy 
of humanity. Others considered Jones to have become 
mad. 

The Book of the Law became Crowley’s most important 
work. Central to it is the Law of Thelema: “Do what thou 
wilt shall be the whole of the Law.” The law has been mis- 
interpreted to mean doing as one pleases. According to 
Crowley, it means that one does what one must and noth- 
ing else. Perfect magic is the complete and total alignment 
of the will with universal will, or cosmic forces. When 
one surrenders to that alignment, one becomes a perfect 
channel for the flow of cosmic forces. 

Besides the Law of Thelema, the book holds that every 
person is sovereign and shall be self-fulfilled in the Aeon. 
“Every man and every woman is a Star,” it states. How- 
ever, the Aeon of Horus would be preceded by an era of 
great violence, aggression, and fire. 

Aiwass told Crowley that he had been selected by the 
“Secret Chiefs,” the master adepts behind the Golden 
Dawn, to be the prophet for the coming Aeon of Horus, 
the third great age of humanity. Crowley genuinely be- 
lieved that the Aeon of Horus would spread around the 
world as a new religion—Crowleyanity—and replace all 
other religions. The Book of the Law remained a focus of 
Crowley’s life for the rest of his years. 

Crowley insisted that he never understood all of what 
was dictated. However, the style is comparable to that of 
some of his other writings, suggesting that the material 
may have originated in his subconscious. The promised 
self-fulfillment seemed to elude him. Throughout his life, 
Crowley believed he had the ability to manifest what- 
ever he desired, including large sums of money, but after 
squandering his inheritance he was never able to do so. 


Vampire demons After returning home to Scotland, 
Crowley informed the Golden Dawn that he was its new 
head, but he received no reply. He then determined that 
Mathers had launched a psychic attack against him, and 
he responded by summoning BEELZEBUB and his demons 
to attack in retaliation. 


Mathers had prepared himself for six months with 
magical procedures and rites in order to create a vampiric 
thought-form demon by channeling the power of Mars, 
the planet of war and aggression. Mathers entered a trance 
state and concentrated his will into the psychic vampire, 
which rose up from his solar plexus. He ordered it to at- 
tack Crowley. However, he committed a grievous error 
in doing the sending himself. In magic, apprentices are 
often used to do the sending, for if anything goes amiss 
and the magic boomerangs back, it will be the apprentice 
who suffers and not the master magician. 

Crowley, who was of superior magical skill, took the 
thought-form, made it nastier, and sent it back to attack 
Mathers. This warfare supposedly went on for years and 
was chronicled by journalists around the world. 

Mathers’ health declined as the attacks continued. 
When Mathers died in 1918, his widow, Moina, blamed 
his death on Crowley’s psychic vampirism. 

Prior to his death, Mathers once described the awful 
nature of the thought-form vampire demon: 


Only the upper portions of its body were visible when it 
would appear. Obviously female, it had narrow breasts 
protruding through some kind of dark raiment. Below 
the waist nothing existed. The curious eyes were deep- 
socketed, and glowed faintly with an intense coral- 
colored luminosity. The head was flat, set low between 
white, blubbery shoulders, as though it were cut off just 
below those fearful “eyes.” Like tiny useless flippers, the 
arms seemed almost vestigial. They were like unformed 
limbs, still in the foetal stage. 

But the thing didn’t need arms. Its terrifying weapon 
was an extraordinarily long, coated gray tongue. Tube- 
like and hollow, it bore a small orbicular hole at its tip, 
and that lascivious tongue kept darting snake-like in 
and out of a circular, lipless mouth. Always trying to 
catch me off guard it would suddenly strike at me, like a 
greedy missile, attempting to suck out my auric vitality. 

Perhaps the beings most terrifying feature was 
its absolutely loathsome habit of trying to cuddle up 
like a purring cat, rubbing its half-materialized form 
against me, all the while alert, hoping to find a gap in 
my defenses. And when it was sometimes successful—I 
was not always prepared nor strong enough to maintain 
the magical barriers—it would pierce my aura with that 
wicked tongue right down to my naked skin, causing 
a most painful sensation. This was followed by a total 
enervation of my body and spirit for a week or more. A 
listless, dread experience. 


Individuals who knew Crowley believed him to be 
quite capable of creating such a demon. 


Choronzon In 1909, after his divorce from Rose, Crow- 
ley began a homosexual relationship with the poet Vic- 
tor Neuberg, who became his assistant in magic. Their 
most famous workings together took place in 1909 in 
the desert south of Algiers, when they performed a har- 
rowing conjuration of the demonic Dweller of the Abyss, 


48 curse 


CHORONZON. Crowley was inspired to incorporate sex 
into the ritual, and he became convinced of the power of 
sex magic. By 1912, he was involved with the Ordo Tem- 
pli Orientis sex magic occult order, and in 1922 he was 
invited to head the organization in Britain. He took the 
magical name BAPHOMET. 


Lam In 1918, the same year that Mathers died, Crowley 
conducted a sex magic ritual called the Almalantrah, 
with Roddie Minor, known as Soror Ahitha. The work- 
ing created a portal in the spaces between stars, through 
which the entity Lam was able to enter the known physi- 
cal universe. Since then, other entities are believed to 
enter through this widening portal, and to be the ba- 
sis for numerous contact experiences with UFOs and 
extraterrestrials. 

One of the revelations of the working was the symbol- 
ism of the egg. Crowley and Soror Ahitha were told, “It’s 
all in the egg.” 

Crowley believed Lam to be the soul of a dead Tibetan 
lama from Leng, between China and Tibet. Lam is Tibetan 
for “Way” or “Path,” which Crowley said had the numeri- 
cal value of 71, or “No Thing,” a gateway to the Void and 
a link between the star systems of Sirius and Andromeda. 
Lam was to fulfill the work initiated by Aiwass. 

Crowley drew a portrait of Lam and said that gazing 
on the portrait enables one to make contact with the en- 
tity. Some consider Lam to be a demon and the portal to 
be one accessed by other demons. 

See BLACK MASS; SIX-SIX-SIX. 


Lam, an entity summoned by Aleister Crowley (© RICHARD 
COOK) 


FURTHER READING: 

Crowley, Aleister. The Holy Books of Thelema. York Beach, 
Me.: Samuel Weiser, 1983. 

. Magic in Theory and Practice. 1929. Reprint, New 
York: Dover, 1976. 

Hillyer, Vincent. Vampires. Los Banos, Calif.: Loose Change, 
1988. 

King, Francis. Megatherion: The Magickal World of Aleister 
Crowley. London: Creation Books, 2004. 

Michaelsen, Scott, ed. Portable Darkness: An Aleister Crowley 
Reader. New York: Harmony Books, 1989. 

Stephenson, P. R., and Regardie, Israel. The Legend of Aleister 
Crowley. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1970. 

Sutin, Lawrence. Do What Thou Wilt: A Life of Aleister Crow- 
ley. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2000. 

Symonds, John, and Kenneth Grant, eds. The Confessions of 
Aleister Crowley, an Autobiography. London: Routledge & 
Kegan Paul, 1979. 


curse A SPELL or action to harm, often done by invok- 
ing the help of DEMONs, other spirits, and deities. In 
Christian tradition, a curse can cause demonic problems, 
including POSSESSION. The person who makes the curse 
ultimately suffers the effects of it. The term curse is 
derived from the Anglo-Saxon word cursein, the etymol- 
ogy of which is not known, which means “to invoke 
harm or evil upon.” 

Cursing is common in magical practice and outside 
Christianity may be considered part of a system of justice 
in which powerful evil spirits are invoked. The Greeks 
and Romans used curses as a part of daily life, to gain ad- 
vantage in business, politics, sports, and love. The Egyp- 
tians wrote curses on magical papyri, a practice adopted 
by Greeks and Romans. From about the fifth century B.C.E. 
to the fifth century C.E., curse tablets (tabellae defixonium) 
were especially popular in the Hellenistic world. 

Tabellae defixonium refers to tablets that fix or pin 
down, especially in the sense of delivering someone over 
to the powers of the underworld. The curse tablets were 
thin pieces of lead (and sometimes other materials) on 
which were inscribed the victim’s name, the curse, magi- 
cal symbols, and names of various deities or the more ge- 
neric DAIMONES invoked to carry out the curse. The tablets 
were buried near a fresh tomb, a battlefield, or a place 
of execution, all of which were believed to be populated 
by spirits of the dead en route to the underworld. The 
curses gave the spirits the power to assault the victim. 
Curse tablets also were fixed with nails and were thrown 
into wells, springs, or rivers, also inhabited by spirits. 
Curses were made for all manner of purposes, including 
preventing rival athletes from winning competitions, as 
in this late Roman Empire curse for a chariot race found 
in Africa: 


I conjure you, daemon, whoever you may be, to tor- 
ture and kill, from this hour, this day, this moment, the 
horses of the Green and the White teams; kill and smash 
the charioteers Clarus, Felix, Primulus, Romanus; do 


curse 49 


not leave breath in them. I conjure you by him who has 
delivered you, at the time, the god of the sea and the air: 
Tao, Iasdo . . . aeia. 


Tao and Iasdo are variants of Yahweh, a Jewish name for 
God. 

Curses in various forms are mentioned 230 times in 
the Bible. JESUS cursed a fig tree because it had no fruit and 
he was hungry; the next day the tree was found withered 
to its roots (Mark 11:12-14). However, Jesus condemned 
cursing and so did Paul, who urged people to bless those 
who cursed them. 

Curses can affect generations. Families can be cursed 
by outsiders or become cursed through involvement in 
sinful activities. Participation in witchcraft or occult ac- 
tivities can curse a person or family, according to Chris- 
tian tradition. Occult activities can include seeking com- 
munication with and knowledge from spirits instead of 
God and using magic or sorcery to control and manipu- 
late others, including with objects that are cursed. 

Curses also can be made against others through ill 
wishing, negative judgments of others, negative thoughts 
about one’s self, and unhealthy relationships and sexual 
activities. 

DELIVERANCE ministers and EXORCISTs who have the 
gift of discernment can determine whether or not a per- 
son has been cursed and is afflicted by a demon. There 
are likely to be signs of mental or emotional breakdown, 
repeated and chronic illness, infertility and miscarriages, 
financial problems, a tendency to have accidents, and a 
family history of unnatural and untimely deaths, such as 
by violence or suicide. 

In cases of possession and EXORCISM performed by the 
Catholic Church, cursed objects are dangerous and must 
be destroyed. If a victim vomits up a cursed object, the 
exorcist should not touch it directly; an exorcist who does 
so should pray and wash his or her hands with holy water. 
The object should be burned. 

In less extreme cases, the effects of a curse can be 
removed by prayer, attendance at church, reading the 
Bible, repentance, renunciation, placing crucifixes and 
religious objects in the home, and attending to a virtu- 
ous life. 


Cursing Demons in Magic 

In ceremonial magic, spirits or demons who refuse to ap- 
pear when evoked in ritual may be cursed to burn in fire 
by the magician. This threat is said to terrify the spirits 
into obedience. The grimoire Key of Solomon gives this 
curse: 


We deprive ye of all office and dignity which ye may 
have enjoyed up till now; and by their virtue and power 
we relegate you unto a lake of sulphur and of flame, and 
unto the deepest depths of the Abyss, that ye may burn 
therein eternally for ever. 


Another curse, called “Curse of the Chains” or “The 
General Curse” (also called “The Spirits Chains”), in- 


volves ritual cursing and a sealing of the disobedient de- 
mon inside a box bound by IRON chains: 


O spirit N., who art wicked and disobedient, because 
thou hast not obeyed my commands and the glorious 
and incomprehensible Names of the true God, the Cre- 
ator of all things, now by the irresistible power of these 
Names I curse thee into the depths of the Bottomless Pit, 
there to remain in unquenchable fire and brimstone until 
the Day of Wrath unless thou shalt forthwith appear 
in this triangle before this circle to do my will. Come 
quickly and in peace by the Names Adonai, Zebaoth, 
Adonai, Amioram. Come, come, Adonai King of Kings 
commands thee. 


The magician then writes the demon’s name and SEAL 
on parchment which he places in a black wooden box 
that contains sulfur and other foul-smelling ingredients. 
He binds the box with iron chains, which imprison the 
demon. The magician hangs the box on the point of his 
sword and holds it over a fire, saying: 


I conjure thee, Fire, by Him who made thee and all other 
creatures of this world to burn, torture and consume this 
spirit N. now and for evermore. 


The magician warns the demon that his name and seal 
will be burned in the box and then buried. If the spirit 
still does not appear, the magician works himself up into 
a greater fury of cursing, calling down the wrath of all the 
company of heaven, the Sun, the Moon, the stars, and the 
light of the hosts of heaven. As a final measure, he drops 
the box into the fire. The demon will find this unbearable 
and will appear. 


Cursed Objects 

Any object can be ritually cursed to affect whoever owns 
it with misfortune, and even death. Sometimes objects 
are cursed by circumstances. For example, the “scream- 
ing skulls” of England are said to be haunted by restless 
ghosts of the dead. Some of the skulls belong to victims 
of religious persecution during the 16th-century Refor- 
mation initiated by King Henry VIII. Others are those of 
Oliver Cromwell’s supporters, called Roundheads, during 
the English Civil War in the mid-17th century. Still other 
skulls are from people who lost their heads in various 
violent episodes, such as murders. Other cursed objects 
may house demons that unleash trouble upon the owners 
of the objects. (See POSSESSION.) 


Protection against Curses 

Numerous remedies against cursing exist. AMULETs pro- 
tect against or deflect curses, whether a person has spe- 
cific knowledge about them or not. Semiprecious stones 
and jewels have been used since ancient times as amulets 
against curses and other forms of dark magic, illness, and 
misfortune. For example, the ancient Egyptians inscribed 
spells on lapis lazuli. The early Greeks and Romans wore 
certain carved semiprecious and precious gems as rings 
and necklaces to ward off curses. 


50 curse 


It is assumed in many cultures that one will be 
cursed by one’s enemies for any reason. Spells, CHARMs, 
and petitions invoke the protection and intervention of 
benevolent spirits. An individual who has been cursed 
sometimes visits another witch or sorcerer to break the 
curse and to curse the curser. 


FURTHER READING: 
Brier, Bob. Ancient Egyptian Magic. New York: William Mor- 
row, 1980. 


Butler, E. M. Ritual Magic. Cambridge: Cambridge University 
Press, 1949. 

Cavendish, Richard. The Black Arts. New York: G. P Putnam’s 
Sons, 1967. 

Fortea, Fr. José Antonio. Interview with an Exorcist: An 
Insiders Look at the Devil, Diabolic Possession, and the 
Path to Deliverance. West Chester, Pa.: Ascension Press, 
2006. 

MacNutt, Francis. Deliverance from Evil Spirits: A Practical 
Manual. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Chosen Books, 1995. 


daeva (daiva, deva, dev) In ZOROASTRIANISM, a power- 
ful DEMON. The daevas are the principals of the infernal 
hordes and are the counterparts and mirror opposites of 
the amesha spentas, good spirits. They personify all dis- 
eases, sins, and distresses suffered by humanity. Most of 
the daevas are male. 

In the Gathas, the oldest Zoroastrian texts, the daevas 
are wrong or false gods, or “gods that are (to be) rejected.” 
In the Younger Avesta, the daevas are vile beings who 
create chaos and disorder. In later tradition and folklore, 
they personify all evils imaginable. 

The daevas were created from the evil thoughts of AH- 
RIMAN for the purpose of waging war against goodness 
and humanity. Though spirits, they can appear in human 
form. Evil men also are called daevas. 

When the prophet Zoroaster was born, the daevas 
went into hiding beneath the earth. They lurk about, 
ready to attack the vulnerable. They are attracted to un- 
clean places and like to spend time in locations where 
corpses are exposed. 

The daevas originate in the north, the direction of 
evil. Their gateway to HELL is Mount Arezura, named af- 
ter a son of Ahriman who was slain by Gayomart. 

There are hordes of daevas; little is known about most 
of them. The most powerful are known by names, along 
with some of their powers and characteristics. 

According to Plutarch, the creator God Ohrmazd 
made 24 gods and placed them in the cosmic egg. Ah- 
riman made 24 daevas to penetrate the egg so that evil 


51 


could mix with good. In later Zoroastrian texts, the num- 
bers of daevas are LEGION. 

The wicked who follow the daevas are condemned to 
go to the place of Worst Thought in the afterlife, the same 
designation given to DRUJ. 

The most fearsome of the daevas is AESHMA, who is 
comparable to ASMODEUS. 


FURTHER READING: 
Jackson, A. V. Williams. Zoroastrian Studies. Whitefish, 
Mont.: Kessinger, 2003. 


daimon In Greek mythology, a type of spirit or intelli- 
gence between gods and humans. Daimon means “divine 
being.” Daimones can be either good or evil in nature, 
though even good ones will act in a hostile fashion when 
angered. A good daimon is called an agathodaimon and an 
evil daimon is called a kakodaimon. Christianity assigned all 
daimones and pagan deities to the infernal ranks of DEMONs. 

Daimones include various classes of entities, such as 
guardian spirits of places, tutelary spirits, genii, minister- 
ing spirits and demigods. They also have been associated 
with the souls of the dead and ghosts, stars and planets, 
and plants and minerals of the earth. They are minister- 
ing spirits (resembling angels), godlike beings, and souls 
of dead persons. Daimones can take over human bodies in 
the form of POSSESSION (especially for oracular prophecy) 
and possess humans to cause physical and mental illness. 
Some are vampiric in nature. 


52 Dalkiel 


GRIMOIRES for ceremonial MAGIC include instructions 
for evoking and commanding daimones. 


FURTHER READING: 

Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. The Encyclopedia of Angels. 2nd ed. 
New York: Facts On File, 2004. 

Luck, Goerg. Arcana Mundi: Magic and the Occult in the Greek 
and Roman Worlds. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University 
Press, 1985. 


Dalkiel Angel of HELL and ruler of Sheol, the under- 
world, who serves under DUMAH, the angel of the still- 
ness of death. In hell Dalkiel punishes nations. He is 
equated with Rugziel. 


Dantanian FALLEN ANGEL and 71st of the 72 SPIRITS OF 
SOLOMON. Dantanian is a mighty duke who appears in 
the form of a man with many faces of men and women, 
carrying a book in his hand. He knows human thoughts 
and can change them at will. He makes people fall in 
love and can show visions of people anywhere to others. 
He teaches all arts and sciences. He governs 36 LEGIONS 
of DEMONS. 


Darling Possession (1596) Fake POSSESSION by 
Thomas Darling, a 13-year-old boy of Burton-on-Trent, 
England. Darling, who aspired to become a Puritan min- 
ister, claimed to become possessed because a witch 
cursed him for farting. The case involved the Puritan 
EXORCIST the REVEREND JOHN DARREL in a peripheral 
way. An account of the case was written by a “man of 
trade” named Jesse Bee, who was with Darling during 
most of his affliction. 

Darling began having fits in February 1596. He con- 
vulsed, vomited, and had visions of green APPLEs and 
green ANGELs. He lost the use of his legs, except when 
he had fits. Whenever Bee started to read the GOSPEL 
OF JOHN, the boy went into fits, which fell into a pattern 
around certain verses, including 4, 9, 13, 14, and 17. 

A doctor examined his urine and pronounced him be- 
witched. Bee and Darling’s aunt discussed the boy’s situ- 
ation, and Bee opined that WITCHCRAFT might indeed be 
the cause, because Darling had fits upon hearing Scrip- 
ture read. Darling overheard this conversation. 

Soon he thought of a fitting story. He said that the 
day his fits began, he had been out in the woods and met 
a “little old woman” with three warts on her face. The 
woman was 60-year-old Alice Gooderidge, who was al- 
ready suspected of being a witch, as was her mother. Dar- 
ling farted, prompting Gooderidge to curse him with a 
rhyme: 


Gyp with a mischiefe, and fart with a bell: 
I will go to heaven, and thou shalt go to hell. 


Gooderidge then stooped to the ground, and Darling 
went home, possessed. 


Gooderidge was arrested and taken before justices, 
who had her scratched. Pressured into confessing, the 
woman acknowledged meeting Darling in the woods on 
said day but insisted she had mistaken him for another 
boy, who had once broken a basket of her eggs. She apolo- 
gized for doing any harm with her words and said she had 
never said bell. She said that when she stooped, the DEVIL 
appeared in the form of “a little partie-colored dog, red 
and white.” She called the dog Minny and dispatched it to 
torment Darling. 

Darling performed well for a young DEMONIAC. During 
his fits, he carried on inspired theological debates with 
the DEVIL modeled on JESUS temptations by SATAN in the 
desert. He moaned about dying young at the hands of the 
Devil. He had a vision of Gooderidge, whom he called 
“Mother Redde Cap,” a common name for witches, and 
said DEMONs beat her brains out and toads gnawed the 
flesh from her bones. 

The minister at Burton-on-Trent tried unsuccessfully 
to stop the fits. So did a renowned Puritan minister, Ar- 
thur Hildersham, who visited and tried to exorcise the 
boy with prayer. 

Bee’s written account was sent to Darrel, who believed 
that Satan, disguised as an angel of light, was speaking 
through the boy to deliver what seemed to be divinely 
inspired messages. At the end of May 1596, Darrel said 
Darling was possessed of an unclean spirit and recom- 
mended fasting and prayer. He did not visit in person, on 
the grounds that he did not want any glory in the case. 

The following day, Darling’s friends and family success- 
fully exorcized him, eliciting a flamboyant performance. 
Darling became entranced, and a “demon” speaking 
through him said he would go to his master, BEELZEBUB. 
The great demon appeared, along with the witch, and 
Darling said he forgave Gooderidge and begged the Lord 
to forgive her too. He ordered Beelzebub to leave. 

This was followed by a vision of an angel, sent by God 
for comfort, and more conversations with demons, who 
decided to depart and torment the witch, who was in jail. 
Interestingly, she reported having a bad night. 

Darling came out of trance and lapsed into another 
one. A voice said, “My son, arise and walke, the evil spirit 
is gone from thee.” Suddenly Darling could use his legs 
again, which he credited to Jesus. His troubles were not 
immediately over, for he had a relapse of temptation. Af- 
ter a vision of a dove, he was permanently cured. 

Gooderidge was sentenced to a year in jail. Darling 
confessed to fabricating his possession, then recanted, 
claiming that his inspired speeches while entranced were 
indeed from God. In 1599, Darrel was tried on charges of 
fraud, and both Darling and Bee testified against him. 

Darling entered Oxford University, where he main- 
tained his ambition to become a Puritan minister. But, in 
1602, he was whipped and had his ears cut off for libel- 
ing Vice-Chancellor John Howson, who was persecuting 
Puritans. 


deliverance 53 


FURTHER READING: 

Walker, D. P Unclean Spirits: Possession and Exorcism in 
France and England in the Late Sixteenth and Early Seven- 
teenth Centuries. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania 
Press, 1981. 


Darrel (Darrell), Reverend John (16th century) English 
Puritan minister convicted of fraud for exorcising the 
DEVIL from a man. John Darrel, a successful minister, 
was caught in religious infighting among moderate Cath- 
olics, English Anglicans, and Puritans. His case led the 
Anglican Church to forbid rites of EXORCISM. 

Prior to his fateful case, Darrel was called to exorcize 
nine people in various cases: Katherine Wright in 1586, 
Thomas Darling in 1596, and seven possessed children 
in Lancashire in 1597 (see SEVEN IN LANCASHIRE POSSES- 
SION). He was unsuccessful in dispossessing Wright, and 
although a witch was accused of causing her POSSESSION, 
the justice in charge refused to commit the witch and 
warned Darrel to desist from exorcisms or face imprison- 
ment. In the DARLING POSSESSION, Darrel advised fasting 
and prayer but was not present during the exorcism so as 
to avoid personal glory. 

The possession of the seven Lancashire children had 
already led to the execution of Edmund Hartley, originally 
summoned to cure the children but eventually found to 
be the witch responsible. Darrel was consulted because 
the children continued to have fits and convulsions. As- 
sisted by the Derbyshire minister George More, Darrel 
exorcised the children in one afternoon, emphasizing 
that the greatest value of such Puritan exorcisms was in 
refuting the claim by the papists that theirs was the only 
true church since they could cast out devils. 

Darrel’s last case was the dispossession of William 
Sommers of Nottingham, begun in November 1597. 
Sommers, aged 20, suffered fits and had a lump the size 
of an egg, which ran about his body. His behavior was 
obscene, including bestiality with a dog in front of on- 
lookers. Darrel exorcized him before 150 witnesses, 
but Sommers suffered repossessions, eventually nam- 
ing witches responsible. Although Sommers did not 
react consistently to the various witches’ presence, Dar- 
rel had all 13 arrested. All but two were released, but 
Darrel claimed that Sommers’ accusations were correct, 
and that Sommers could probably find all the witches in 
England. 

In January 1598, one of the accused witches’ power- 
ful families charged Sommers himself with witchcraft, 
for bewitching a person to death. Sommers confessed to 
fraud. He demonstrated how he simulated fits, including 
frothing at the mouth. 

Darrel tried to persuade Sommers to withdraw his 
confession. Called before a church commission set up by 
the archbishop of York, Sommers went into fits—but the 
commission was convinced he was genuinely possessed. 
On March 20, and again at a later date, Sommers reaf- 


firmed to church and government authorities that he was 
indeed faking his fits. 

Sommers’ flip-flops riled the public, and ministers 
talked from their pulpits about nothing but witchcraft 
and the Devil. Fearful of the effect on the people, as well 
as the increasing power of the Puritans, or Calvinists, the 
archbishop of Canterbury moved against Darrel. Kather- 
ine Wright and Thomas Darling were summoned as wit- 
nesses against Darrel and joined Sommers in confessing 
fraud. Wright and Sommers even accused Darrel of teach- 
ing them how to contrive fits. Wright's assertion did not 
fit the history of her own fits, which had continued peri- 
odically for 14 years. Darling recanted on his confession. 

Mainly on the basis of Sommers’ detailed accusations, 
the ecclesiastical court found Darrel to be a counterfeit 
and deposed him from the ministry in May 1599. Darrel 
languished in prison for several months but was never 
sentenced. After his release, he went into hiding for at 
least two years. His career dispossessing people was 
over. 

Asa result of Darrel’s conviction, the Anglican Church 
passed Canon 72 of the Episcopal Church, forbidding ex- 
orcism as a formal ritual. Although there are Anglican 
priests today practicing exorcism on an informal basis 
with the approval of their bishops, most Anglicans—as 
well as other Protestants—have adopted the beliefs of 
MARTIN LUTHER: that the Devil can best be driven from 
a tortured soul by prayer alone, since only God knows 
when the Devil should leave. 


FURTHER READING: 

Walker, D. P Unclean Spirits: Possession and Exorcism in 
France and England in the Late Sixteenth and Early Seven- 
teenth Centuries. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania 
Press, 1981. 


Decarabia (Carabia) FALLEN ANGEL and 69th of the 72 
SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. Decarabia is a marquis in HELL with 
30 LEGIONS of DEMONS reporting to him. He appears as a 
star in a pentacle but changes into a man when ordered 
to do so. He makes magical birds fly before a magician 
and leaves them as FAMILIARS, singing and eating as ordi- 
nary birds do. Decarabia knows the virtues of herbs and 
precious stones. 


deliverance A form of spiritual warfare that includes 
EXORCISM of DEMONs, prayer, cleansing, and healing. 
Deliverance is practiced chiefly by Protestant denomina- 
tions, especially Pentecostal and charismatic. 

Practices of deliverance began in the early years of 
Christianity, when the apostles and all true believers cast 
out demons and healed by a laying on of hands. Over 
time, the practices became more restricted in favor of for- 
mal rites performed by priests. Deliverance declined with 
the advance of psychiatry and psychology but underwent 
a revival in the 20th century with the growth of Pentecos- 
tal and charismatic denominations. 


54 demoniac 


The demonic realm is assumed to operate under a set 
of rules and to function as a hierarchy with lower-level 
demons reporting to higher-level demons. When a hu- 
man being violates the rules, such as by committing a sin, 
demons then have “legal rights” to assault that person, 
causing a progression of problems from INFESTATION to 
OPPRESSION to POSSESSION. Evil acts committed in a place, 
as well as CURSEs against people and places, also give de- 
mons legal rights. 

Interference includes temptations to sin, physical at- 
tacks, obstructions, emotional oppression, and personal- 
ity changes. Full and true possessions are considered to be 
rare. Demonization is a term used instead of possession. 

Different types of demons are recognized. 


e Demons with unusual names such as PAZUZU and 
BEELZEBUB are high in the hierarchy and represent 
the true demons of HELL. These spirits are in a 
minority of afflicting demons. 

e Other demons take their names from sins such as 
Envy and Murder. They take advantage of people's 
weaknesses and foment paranoia. 

e Some demons enter on the wake of trauma, espe- 
cially psychological or emotional. 

e Ancestral spirits, who may be genuine restless dead 
spirits or low-level demons masquerading as the 
dead, are encountered most often in hauntings and 
through spirit communications such as mediumship 
or devices. 


Prayers are used to expel demons, but there are no for- 
mal rites of exorcism such as those performed in Catholi- 
cism only by priests (see RITUALE ROMANUM). The cause of 
demonization must be closed off through repentance and 
inner healing. 

There are symptoms that denote when a deliverance 
is needed. 


e Tormented persons are aware of spirits, such as 
through voices in their heads urging them to do 
violent or evil deeds or commit suicide and unusual 
and extreme nightmares. 

e Others observe signs of demonization, such as 
bodily contortions, unusual changes in voice, severe 
changes in facial expressions, unpleasant smells, 
and marked cold. 


Widespread belief among Pentecostals, charismatics, 
and others holds that only pagans, not Christians, are 
ever in need of deliverance. 

Deliverance usually is done by clergy but can be done 
by others as well, such as mediums and healers and layper- 
sons. Such individuals have been given a chrism, or gift, of 
discernment by the Holy Spirit, which enables them to per- 
ceive whether or not a person is afflicted by evil spirits and 
to know the identity of the spirits. The identity is helpful in 
determining the origin or entry point of the demon and in 
knowing how the demon is affecting the victim. 


Deliverance prayers are performed for spiritual protec- 
tion, light infestation and oppression, and severe demon- 
ization. Serious cases are best handled by experienced 
clergy or trained laypersons who are empowered by the 
Holy Spirit. Tools include blessed water, oil, and salt. 


FURTHER READING: 
MacNutt, Francis. Deliverance from Evil Spirits: A Practical 
Manual. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Chosen Books, 1995. 


demoniac Person who becomes possessed by a DEMON. 
A demoniac undergoes a marked change in physical, 
mental, and emotional symptoms and behavior. Depend- 
ing on the type of POSSESSION, there may be a pattern to 
the changes. 

In ancient times, demons were blamed for entering a 
person and taking control of him or her to cause prob- 
lems. The ancient Jewish historian Josephus said that it 
was not a demon but the soul of a tormented person that 
entered a victim. Illnesses and diseases were blamed on 
demons, especially if a person fell into fits, trances, or 
bizarre behavior. Natural medical conditions, such as 
epilepsy, may have been the real causes, but in earlier 
times, there was little understanding of many illnesses. 


Linda Blair as the demoniac Regan in The Exorcist (1973) 
(AUTHOR'S COLLECTION) 


demons and demonolgy 55 


The attempted remedy was to undertake an EXORCISM, 
which would eradicate the problem. Certain empowered 
individuals had the knowledge, and especially the super- 
natural power, to help demoniacs. 

During the medieval and Renaissance times in Eu- 
rope, demoniacs said they were cursed by witches and 
sorcerers (See CURSE) or were overcome by the DEVIL. The 
Catholic Church used possession to pursue its political 
agendas. Some cases of demoniacs were false; they faked 
their symptoms or were swept up in hysterias. (See SPIRIT 
OF ORLEANS.) 

More recently, demoniacs are said to be in “religious 
altered states of consciousness,” or RASC. They exhibit 
many of the same physical, mental, and emotional symp- 
toms as persons who are swept up in religious or spiritual 
ecstasies and raptures; however, for them the experience 
is hellish rather than heavenly: they are under the siege of 
demons rather than God. 

Demoniacs exhibit certain symptoms, among them 
swellings and contortions of the body, trances, cataleptic 
states, transfigurations of their faces and voices, unusual 
behavior, self-battering and mutilation, personality and 
mood changes, and statements from the possessing de- 
mon, often in foreign languages—especially Latin—un- 
known to the demoniac. The victim shouts obscenities 
and blasphemies and taunts EXORCISTs and others. In 
more severe cases, there are uncontrollable hysterics; epi- 
sodes of supernormal strength; levitation; the vomiting 
of unusual substances, bile and copious quantities of mu- 
cus; clairvoyance; and prophecy. The eyes may roll back 
into the head. Sexual assault by the demons, poltergeist 
phenomena, apparitions, and nightmares may happen to 
the victims. 

Demoniacs usually are not steadily possessed but act 
normally and then are overcome for periods of time. They 
may be possessed by multiple demons and have to un- 
dergo repeated exorcisms over long periods. 

Possession is considered life-threatening to a demo- 
niac, though few have actually died under its influence. 
In 1590, Ann Frank, a nurse in the employ of John Dee, 
an English occultist, became possessed and attempted 
suicide. Dee’s remedy was to anoint her breast with holy 
oil and put her under heavy guard. After a month, she 
succeeded in killing herself by cutting her throat. Frank 
is one of the few demoniacs on record who actually com- 
mitted suicide. 

In 1976, a young German demoniac, ANNELIESE MI- 
CHEL, died while undergoing exorcisms. She was severely 
emaciated and dehydrated. 


FURTHER READING: 

Baroja, Julio Caro. The World of the Witches. 1961. Reprint, 
Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1975. 

Goodman, Felicitas D. The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel. Gar- 
den City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1981. 

Lea, Henry Charles. Materials toward a History of Witchcraft. 
Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1939. 


Demon of Jedburgh (1752) 
witch in Jedburgh, Scotland. 

In 1752, Captain Archibald Douglas was in Jedburgh 
on a recruiting campaign. One of his sergeants asked to 
change quarters because the house he was staying in had 
a DEMON in a “frightful form” that pestered him at night. 
Douglas refused the man’s request. 

Soon the sergeant appealed again to be moved, say- 
ing the demon had threatened his life. He said that he 
had awakened during the night to see the ugly form 
standing over him. It changed into a black cat, jumped 
out the window, and flew over the church steeple. The 
sergeant also had learned that the landlady was said to 
be a witch and her husband possessed “second sight” 
(clairvoyance). 

That night, Douglas spent the night beside the ser- 
geant, with his gun and sword nearby. At midnight, he 
was awakened by a noise and saw a large black cat fly in 
through the window. He fired at it and shot off one of its 
ears. It vanished. 

The next morning, the men saw the landlady, who 
fainted before them in a pool of BLOOD. They discovered 
that one of her ears had been shot off. Douglas threatened 
to turn the woman in to the authorities, but she and her 
husband begged him to leave them alone. He agreed, on 
condition that they give up their “wicked ways.” It is not 
known whether the couple did as promised. 

The story is possibly a blend of fact and fiction; the 
telltale wound is prominent in magical folklore in tales of 
shape-shifting sorcerers, witches, and werewolves. 


Account of an alleged 


FURTHER READING: 

Grant, James. The Mysteries of All Nations: Rise and Progress 
of Superstition, Laws against and Trials of Witches, Ancient 
and Modern Delusions, Together with Strange Customs, 
Fables and Tales. Edinburgh: Leith, Reid & Son, n.d. 


demons and demonology A type of spirit that inter- 
feres in the affairs of people. The term demon means 
“replete with wisdom” and is derived from the Greek 
term DAIMON. The daimones were both good and evil and 
even included deified heroes. In most cultures, demons 
are troublesome rather than helpful; some are evil. In 
Christianity, all demons are evil and serve SATAN for the 
purpose of subverting souls. Demons can cause unpleas- 
ant hauntings, often involving INFESTATION, OPPRESSION, 
and POSSESSION. The study of demons is called demonol- 
ogy. Like ANGELs, demons are numberless. 


Historical Overview 

Demons universally are considered the cause of all hu- 
mankind's problems: disease, misfortune, poor health, 
bad luck, ruined relationships, sin, and soul loss. Since an- 
cient times, they have been said to have sex with humans. 
They can be sent to torment and possess others. They can 
be put to productive uses as well and can be summoned 
and controlled by magic. For example, in ancient Egypt, a 


56 demons and demonolog 


ji 


CLT TL 


Wy 


Demon carrying off a child who has been promised to the Devil 
(AUTHOR'S COLLECTION) 


magician who exorcized a possessing demon could com- 
mand the same demon to perform useful tasks. There are 
numerous ways to protect against demons and to banish 
them from places, people, and animals. 

Beliefs in demon-caused troubles are ancient and still 
prevail in many places around the world. Since the mid- 
20th century, belief in demons and their interferences has 
risen in the West. 

The lore of the ancient Babylonians, Assyrians, and 
other Middle Eastern cultures teemed with demons. The 
greatest demonic problem was illness, and demons had 
to be cast out of a person for healing. In Mesopotamian 
lore, demons took the form of human-animal hybrids 
that could walk upright on two legs and were controlled 
by the gods. Humans could repel demons by magic, 
such as use of CHARMs and AMULETs (see INCANTATION 
BOWL). 


Demons in Judaism 
Judaic demonologies evolved with influences from the 
lore of the Babylonians, Persians, and Egyptians. In Tal- 
mudic tradition, demons are ever-present enemies posing 
constant dangers to humanity. They were created by God 
on the first sabbath eve at twilight. Dusk fell before God 
finished them, and thus they have no bodies. According 
to another story, demons were spawned by LILITH, the 
spurned first wife of Adam. King SOLOMON used magic 
to summon and control demons, or the DJINN, to work for 
him in building his Temple of Jerusalem. 

Demons can have wings and exist between humans 
and angels, roughly between the earth and the Moon. 


They are less powerful than angels. They frequent unin- 
habited and unclean places, and once they attach them- 
selves to a person or family, bad luck follows. 

The Jewish “middle world” teems with numberless de- 
mons and angels. Angels of destruction (malache habbala) 
blurred together with the demonic. By the second century 
C.E., the Hebrews had developed complex systems of both 
entities. As were angels, demons were seen as having ju- 
risdiction over everything in creation. Rabbinical teach- 
ings frowned on demon magic, but beliefs and practices 
concerning demons were tolerated. By the Middle Ages, 
rabbinic writings had elaborated upon demons, expand- 
ing their classes and duties. 

One category of demon, the LUTIN, does possess both 
body and soul. The lutin were created by sexual unions be- 
tween Adam and female demons after he parted from Eve. 

Another category of demons are created every day 
from the newly dead, who were believed to linger about 
in close contact with the living. The spirits of the wicked 
dead became demons. They are capable of inflicting 
wounds that only God can heal. 

In the development of the KABBALAH, hierarchies of 
demons were associated with the 10 sephirot, or centers, 
of the Tree of Life. According to the Kabbalah, evil powers 
emanate from the left pillar of the Tree of Life, especially 
from Geburah, the sephira of the wrath of God. By the 
13th century, the idea of 10 evil sephirot had developed to 
counter the 10 holy sephirot of the Tree. 

Other Hebrew systems of demons distinguish those 
born of night terrors and those who fill the sky between 
the Earth and the Moon. There are demons who, with an- 
gels, are in charge of the night hours, and interpretations 
of diseases, and those who have seals that may be used to 
summon them. This demonic lore later became the core 
of magical handbooks called GRIMOIRES. 

The Old Testament mentions evil spirits but does not 
feature a primary demonic figure such as the SATAN that 
emerged in Christianity. “Satan” is more a prosecuting 
attorney interested in testing humans and is a member 
of the heavenly court. God sends evil spirits to punish 
people. Judges 9:22-25 tells of Abimelech, who murdered 
70 rivals for the rule of Israel: 


After Abimelech had governed Israel three years, God 
sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens 
of Shechem, who acted treacherously against Abim- 
elech. God did this in order that the crime against 
Jerub-Baal’s seventy sons, the shedding of their blood, 
might be avenged on their brother Abimelech and on 
the citizens of Shechem, who had helped him murder 
his brothers. In opposition to him these citizens of 
Shechem set men on the hilltops to ambush and rob 
everyone who passed by, and this was reported to 
Abimelech. 


In 1 Kings 22:19-22, the Lord manipulates human af- 
fairs by dispatching a lying spirit, though its nature— 
good or evil—is ambiguous: 


demons and demonolgy 57 


Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the 
LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the 
host of heaven standing around him on his right and on 
his left (20). And the LorD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab 
into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death 
there?’ 

One suggested this, and another that (21). Finally, a 
spirit came forward, stood before the LORD and said, “I 
will entice him.” 

“By what means?” the LORD asked. 

“I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all 
his prophets,” he said. 

“You will succeed in enticing him,” said the LORD. 
“Go and do it.” 


More about demons is found in the rabbinic teachings 
called the Gemora. (See MAZZIQIN.) 


Demons in Apochryphal and 

Pseudepigraphal Works 

The Apochrypha and pseudepigrapha are non-canoni- 
cal texts written by unknown or pseudonymous authors. 
Some of the texts have more to say about angels and de- 
mons than do the canonical works in the Bible. 

The Apochrypha (hidden) consists of 15 books or por- 
tions of books written between about 200 B.C.E. and 200 
C.E. Demons have minor roles in apochryphal works; the 
distinguishing exception is the book of Tobit, in which 
the young man Tobias learns how to exorcize demons 
from the archangel Raphael, disguised as a man (see 
ASMODEUS). 

Most pseudepigraphal works were written between 
200 B.C.E. and 200 C.E., though some were written much 
later. More information about demons is given in pseude- 
pigraphal works such as Jubilees and Enoch. According to 
Jubilees, evil originated with bad angels, not with Adam 
and Eve. 

Jubilees says that angels were created by God on the 
first day. The text does not say specifically when demons 
were created, but it is implied that they, too, were made 
on the first day, “along with all of the spirits of his [God’s] 
creatures which are in heaven and on earth” (2:2). 

Angels are described only by their classes and duties. 
One class are the WATCHERS, good angels who were as- 
signed the task of watching over humanity. The Watchers 
coveted human women and descended to Earth, to cre- 
ate the vampiric, cannibalistic monsters called NEPHILIM. 
Thus, the demonic and evil powers were created by cor- 
rupted angels. 

God sends the flood to cleanse the planet, but not all of 
the Nephilim are destroyed. When the polluted demons 
start to bother Noah and his sons, Noah appeals to God, 
who agrees to send angels to bind them all into the place 
of judgment. MASTEMA, the prince of evil and the only 
demonic power named in Jubilees, steps forward to ask 
God to allow one-tenth of the demons to remain on Earth 
under his jurisdiction. The angels then teach Noah herbal 
lore for restraining the remaining demons. 


The three books of Enoch also tell the story of the 
Watchers and Nephilim, in more detail. Again, evil comes 
into being through the fall of the angels. On the Day of 
Judgment, however, all the demons and evil angels will be 
cast into the abyss. 


Demons in Christianity 

In Christianity, demons have their origins in the FALLEN 
ANGELs who followed LUCIFER, or “morning star,” when 
he was cast out of heaven by God (Isaiah 14:12). In the 
New Testament, JESUS healed by casting out demons, in 
keeping with prevailing traditions. By the end of the New 
Testament period, demons were synonymous with fallen 
angels, all under the direction of Satan. As Christianity 
spread, pagan gods, goddesses, and nature spirits were 
incorporated into the ranks of demons. 

The hermits, ascetics, and men who became the early 
saints of Christianity were constantly beset by evil, in- 
cluding demonic attacks (see ANTHONY). In the early 
centuries, Christian theologians known as the apostolic 
fathers grappled with questions about evil. Justin Martyr 
saw demons as the illicit children of fallen angels and hu- 
man women. Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp, and Barnabas 
stressed the Devil rather than his demons. Irenaeus was 
convinced of the reality of demons and the Devil and ad- 
vocated EXORCISM as a way to combat them. 

Tertullian wrote in more detail about demons, defin- 
ing them as fallen angels who lusted after women. De- 
mons are quite dangerous, he said, possessing supreme 
intelligence and knowledge, as well as supernormal abili- 
ties such as instant travel. 


SAS 


í 


iy 
X 


T 


Demon tempting a woman with the sin of vanity (AUTHOR'S 
COLLECTION) 


58 demons and demonolog 


Origen agreed with Tertullian, except on the reason 
for the fall of angels: They fell from the sin of pride rather 
than lust. Demons were not created evil, he said, but be- 
came evil by exercising their free will. They are not pure 
spirits but have bodies different from human ones. They 
attack humans in two principal ways: through obsession, 
with evil thoughts, and through possession, including of 
animals. Magic is done with the aid of demons, Origen 
said. He also advocated exorcism, which must be per- 
formed according to precise rituals in order to be effec- 
tive. Under certain circumstances, humans can become 
demons—a view that later theologians criticized. 

From about the third to eighth centuries, theologians 
built on these early ideas. Jerome and Augustine wrote 
of shape-shifting demons, including half-human, half- 
monstrous forms. Augustine in particular never doubted 
the reality of demons and their evil influences. 

For medieval theologians, demons were the tempters 
of humanity, a system that ultimately worked in favor of 
humans by proving who was worthy of going to heaven. 
The Devil and his hordes had no direct access to people 
except through their free will choices. Thomas Aquinas 
said that SATAN controls people chiefly through posses- 
sion, and if demons had no success with a person during 
life, they made their final assault on the soul at the mo- 
ment of death. 

During the witch trials of the Inquisition, the impor- 
tance of demons increased. Demons were believed to play 
a key role, causing possessions, leading people into sin, 
helping people perpetrate evil deeds, and serving witches 
as their FAMILIAR spirits in all acts of malevolence. Theo- 
logians and witch hunters emphasized the dangers of 
demons and those who trafficked with them by making 
PACTs. The Puritan minister Increase Mather said in Cases 
of Conscience (1692), “The Scriptures assert that there are 
Devils and Witches and that they are the common en- 
emy of Mankind.” George Giffard, an Oxford preacher of 
about the same period, said that witches should be put to 
death not because they kill others but because they deal 
with devils: “These cunning men and women which deale 
with spirites and charme seeming to do good, and draw 
the people into manifold impieties, with all other which 
haue familiarity with deuils, or use conjurations, ought to 
bee rooted out, that others might see and feare.” 


Characteristics of Demons 

Descriptions from antiquity portray demons as shape 
shifters who can assume any form, animal or human 
or hybrid, such as the Mesopotamian demons. The Pla- 
tonists and early fathers and theologians of the Chris- 
tian Church said that demons condense bodies out of 
the air or smoke. In Arabian lore, the djinn are made of 
smokeless fire. Some of the theologians and witch hunt- 
ers of the Inquisition said that demons have no corpo- 
real form and only give the illusion that they are in hu- 
man or animal form. They create voices out of air that 
mimic people. 


In Judaic lore, demons are always invisible but can see 
themselves and each other. They cast no shadows. They 
eat, drink, propagate, and eventually die, though not ex- 
actly as humans do. Their eating and drinking consist 
of lapping up fire, water, air, and slime. When they die, 
they dry up and wither away to their primordial state. 
However, when they have sex, they can assume bodies. 
They will not copulate in front of any human or another 
demon. 

In Christian lore, demons assume forms that are 
black, such as dogs (see BLACK DOGS) and other animals 
and men dressed in black. Because they are evil, they are 
imperfect, and so they always have a flaw in their appear- 
ance, such as a malformed limb or cloven feet. They can 
also assume beautiful and seductive forms, especially if 
they are sexual predators. 

According to Remy: 


When they first approach a man to speak with him they 
do not wish him to be terrified by any unusual appear- 
ance, and therefore they prefer to assume a human shape 
and manifest themselves as a man of good standing 
in order that their words may carry more weight and 
authority; and for this reason they like to wear a long 
black cloak, such as is only worn by honored men of 
substance. It is true that many hold their purpose in this 
last is to conceal the deformity of their feet, which is an 
ineradicable token and sign of their essential baseness; 
and that black is, besides, most appropriate to them, 


A lion-snake demon (© RICHARD COOK) 


demons and demonolgy 59 


Demon (© RICHARD COOK) 


since all their contrivings against men are of a black and 
deadly nature. 


Demons are described as unclean, filthy, and full of 
abominable stench. They live in dead bodies. If they make 
their bodies out of air or occupy a living body, they exude 
a stench. In the body, they swell in the bowels with ex- 
crement and waste. They are afraid of cuts, wounds, and 
blows and can be repelled with threats of them. 

They are organized in hierarchies and function as in a 
military organization, according to GRIMOIRES and Inqui- 
sition writings. If lower demons disobey their superiors, 
they are beaten. 


Activities of Demons 

Throughout history, the chief activity of demons has 
been to cause illness and disease. They are the spirits of 
uncleanness, and the lack of proper hygiene will enable 
them to enter a person through contaminated food, dirty 
hands, and foul environments. Widespread beliefs hold 
that humans are in constant danger of demonic attack in 
some form, and constant vigilance is required through 
watchfulness, proper habits, and the use of measures 


of protection. The greatest danger occurs at night when 
sleeping humans are at their most vulnerable, especially 
concerning demons that cause nightmares and make sex- 
ual attacks. Birth and death are perilous times, as are the 
nights on which marriages are consummated. At these 
times, demons are better able to wreak havoc. 

During the Inquisition, demons were believed to aid 
witches by giving instruction on how to cast evil spells 
and how to poison people, crops, and animals with herbs 
and other substances. They acted as familiars, taking the 
form of animals such as birds and insects, to carry out the 
evil of witches. They participated in SABBATs and pacts. 
Inquisitors believed that demons influenced women more 
easily than men, for women, they said, were weaker in 
will and intellect than men. 

Demons send bad weather and pests such as armies of 
mice and swarms of locusts to destroy crops. 

In hauntings and possessions, demons create unpleas- 
ant poltergeist phenomena and chaos and attack the liv- 
ing in a progression of increasing intensity. Psychics and 
mediums perceive them as having grotesque forms. They 
are often associated with revolting smells. In some cases, 
demons shape shift into deceitful, desirable forms with 
charming personalities. Once they have a person under 
their control, they revert to their original nature. Low- 
level demonic entities are associated with problems in- 
volving talking board use (see OUJA™). 

In possessions, demons will speak through possessed 
persons, altering the person’s voice. Demons have a fond- 
ness for profanity and verbal abuse. They cause physi- 
cal phenomena, such as spitting, vomiting, levitation, 


The demon Harborym (DICTIONNAIRE INFERNAL) 


60 Demoriel 


unnatural twisting of limbs, supernormal strength, foam- 
ing at the mouth, and so on. In rites of exorcism, it is 
important to know the demon’s name. 

Demons are exorcized, or expelled, by a variety of 
methods, from ordering the demon to leave, to magical 
ritual, to religious ritual. 


Sex with Demons 

Christianity rejected the idea of sexual intercourse with 
demons until the 12th century; by the 14th century, it was 
accepted in theology. Sex with demons became a focus of 
the Inquisition; witches and those under demonic control 
were said to copulate wildly with demons, and even with 
Satan himself (see INCUBUS; SUCCUBUS). The male incubi 
molested women and the female succubi molested men. 
Both kinds of demons were said to masquerade as humans 
in order to seduce their prey. The actual sexual act, how- 
ever, was held to be painful and vile. Women impregnated 
by demons were supposed to give birth to monsters. 

Witch hunters said that demons enter into marriages 
with humans. Remy wrote of a 1587 case in which two 
witnesses, Bertrande Barbier and Sinchen, said they wit- 
nessed such a marriage at night in a place where crim- 
inals were crucified. Instead of giving the bride a ring, 
the bridegroom blew his breath into the bride’s anus. A 
roasted black she-goat was served at the wedding feast. 
This tale is characteristic of the stories fabricated in witch 
trials and used by inquisitors to convict and execute ac- 
cused heretics and witches. 

In modern cases, demons are opportunistic, assault- 
ing humans weakened by vices, sin, or CURSEs or simply 
being in the wrong place at the wrong time, such as a 
location where acts of evil have taken place. 


Demons in Magic 

Demons are invoked in MAGIC. Because demons are un- 
ruly, magicians must force them to obey commands for 
service. Grimoires give the names, duties, SEALs, incan- 
tations, and rituals summoning and controlling demons. 
They are especially useful in DIVINATION, finding lost trea- 
sure, and the casting of spells. When evoked, demons are 
made to take form in a magic triangle, a secured bound- 
ary from which they cannot threaten the magician, who 
is protected by a magic circle. 


FURTHER READING: 

Ebon, Martin. The Devils Bride, Exorcism: Past and Present. 
New York: Harper & Row, 1974. 

Finlay, Anthony. Demons! The Devil, Possession and Exorcism. 
London: Blandford, 1999. 

Flint, Valerie I. J. The Rise of Magic in Early Medieval Europe. 
Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1991. 

Fortea, Fr. Jose Antonio. Interview with an Exorcist: An Insid- 
ers Look at the Devil, Diabolic Possession, and the Path to 
Deliverance. West Chester, Pa.: Ascension Press, 2006. 

Goodman, Felicitas. How about Demons? Possession and Exor- 
cism in the Modern World. Bloomington: Indiana Univer- 
sity Press, 1988. 


MacNutt, Francis. Deliverance from Evil Spirits: A Practical 
Manual. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Chosen Books, 1995. 

Martin, Malachi. Hostage to the Devil. New York: Harper & 
Row, 1987. 

Oesterreich, T. K. Possession: Demonical and Other Among 
Primitive Races, in Antiquity, the Middle Ages and Modern 
Times. New Hyde Park, N.Y.: University Books, 1966. 

The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vols. 1 & 2. Edited by 
James H. Charlesworth. 1983. Reprint, New York: Dou- 
bleday, 1985. 

Thomas, Keith. Religion and the Decline of Magic. New York: 
Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1971. 

Trachtenberg, Joshua. Jewish Magic and Superstition: A Study 
in Folk Religion. New York: Berhman’s Jewish Book 
House, 1939. 


Demoriel DEMON among the 31 AERIAL SPIRITS OF SOLO- 
MON. Demoriel is the emperor of the north, served by 400 
great dukes, 600 lesser dukes, and 7,000,008,000,009,000,001 
ministering spirits. There are 12 primary dukes, each of 
whom has 1,140 attending spirits: Amibiel, Cabarim, 
Menador, Burisiel, Doriel, Mador, Camael, Dubilon, 
Meclu, Churibal, Dabrinos, and Chomiell. 


Denham Exorcisms (1585-1586) The EXORCISMs of 
six fraudulent DEMONIACs by 12 Catholic priests, the 
chief of whom was a Jesuit, William Weston, also known 
as Edmunds. Most of the exorcisms took place in the 
home of Sir George Peckham of Denham, Buckingham- 
shire, England. The “possessions” were fake, part of a 
conversion campaign against Protestants and a political 
plot against the Crown. 

An account of the exorcisms was written by Samuel 
Harsnett, chaplain to the bishop of London, Richard Ban- 
croft, and published in 1603. It was entitled A Declara- 
tion of Egregious Popish Impostures, to with-draw the harts 
of her Majesties Subjects from their allegance, and from the 
truth of Christian Religion professed in England, under the 
pretence of casting out devils. Practiced by Edmunds, alias 
Weston a Jesuit, a divers Romish Priests his wicked associ- 
ates. Where-unto are annexed the Copies of the Confessions 
and Examinations of the parties themselves, which pretended 
to be possessed, and dispossessed, taken upon oath before her 
Majesties Commissioners for Causes Ecclesiastical. 

Weston arrived in England in September 1584, during 
a time of severe persecutions of Catholic clergy. Several 
Jesuits had been martyred, and some had fled the coun- 
try. The Act of 1585 made Jesuits and seminary priests 
guilty of treason simply by being in England. Anyone 
who harbored them was guilty of felony. And the Witch- 
craft Act of 1563 made the conjuring of spirits—which 
included exorcism—punishable by death on the first of- 
fense. Nonetheless, Weston and the priests undertook 
the exorcisms, ostensibly in order to convert Protestants 
back to Catholicism. 

There was a greater factor involved: the Babington 
plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I and replace her 


Devil 61 


with Mary, queen of Scots, and allow the Spaniards to 
invade England. The first person exorcized by Weston 
in England was William Marwood, a servant of Anthony 
Babington, a Catholic nobleman from Derbyshire, who 
later visited Denham in order to witness the exorcisms 
of the six demoniacs. Two of the exorcising priests, John 
Ballard and Anthony Tyrell, were part of the plot; Bal- 
lard was a leader of it and convinced Babington to join it. 
Weston probably knew about it and used the exorcisms to 
help the plot succeed. 

Four of the Denham demoniacs later confessed to fak- 
ing possessions. If the other two confessed, their records 
have been lost. Two were Protestants: Sara Williams, 15, 
a servant at Denham, and her sister, Frideswid or Fid, 17, 
who took over Sara’s chores when she began having fits. Fid 
fell in the laundry and was persuaded that she had become 
possessed too. Two were Catholic: Annie Smith, 18, a fam- 
ily friend of the Peckhams, sent to Denham because she was 
having fits, and Richard Mainey, about 18, an Englishman 
who had become a Friar Minim in France but left the order 
because of their strictness and the fact that he disliked fish, 
their dietary mainstay. He also suffered hysteria. 

The demoniacs faked visions, revelations, prophecies, 
and convulsions. Their DEMONs praised Queen Eliza- 
beth and her courtiers, proclaiming them to be faithful 
servants of the DEVIL. The exorcisms were witnessed by 
huge crowds. During the course of the year, at least 500 
persons converted, according to the published account. 

The exorcisms involved intoxicating, nauseating po- 
tions and stinking fumes. The demoniacs were bound 
to chairs and forced to drink a vile potion of oil, sack, 
and rue. Chafing dishes of burning brimstone were held 
under their noses. No wonder that the demoniacs lost 
their reason, believed themselves to be truly possessed, 
and babbled about demons. They were shown relics of En- 
glish saints, bones that they had been coached to identify 
correctly. The priests put bones into the mouths of Sara 
and Fid; the girls did not have to fake revulsion that was 
taken as a sign of demonic horror. 

Mainey’s demon, Modu, said that Sara and Fid had 
been bewitched by Goodwife White of Bushy, a woman 
who was commonly believed to be a witch. The priests 
captured White’s cat and whipped it until it “vanished 
away.” They sent a messenger to Bushy, where White was 
found in childbed, having lost her baby in childbirth. Fid 
accused the priests of murder. 

Of all the demoniacs, Mainey put on the best show. 
Prior to Easter 1586, he announced that every Sunday he 
would have a vision of purgatory, and on Good Friday he 
would ascend to heaven. Not surprisingly, a large crowd 
gathered on the appointed day to witness this event. 
Mainey lay on his bed, preached and prayed in a stern 
fashion, and then lapsed into a two-hour trance. When he 
awakened, he sighed and groaned and said: 


My time is not yet come: our blessed Lady hath appeared 
to me, and told me that I must live longer yet: for that 


God hath reserved me for a further purpose to doe more 
good, and to tell of strange wonders. 


Mainey had more theatrics in him. The last exorcism 
occurred on April 23, 1586. Mainey’s demon, Modu, ap- 
peared and said that he was accompanied by seven other 
demons, “all of them Captaines and of great fame.” They 
acted out the SEVEN DEADLY SINS. When this gross dis- 
play was finished, Modu cursed the “popish priests” and 
said that all of Mainey’s visions were false, intended to 
induce Catholics to worship devils disguised as Christ 
and “Saffronbag,” as he called the Virgin Mary. The de- 
mons departed. 

On August 4, 1586, Weston and Ballard were arrested 
by orders of Sir Francis Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth’s 
“spymaster,” who had been carefully watching Catholic 
activities, including the Denham exorcisms. Denham’s 
house was raided, and most of the occupants were ar- 
rested. Other priests were jailed. No incriminating evi- 
dence against Weston could be found, but nonetheless 
he was imprisoned in Wisbech Castle for 10 years. Tyrell 
became an informer for the Crown. 

Ballard, Babington, and other conspirators rounded 
up were tortured and tried at Westminster Hall in Lon- 
don. They were sentenced to be hanged and their bod- 
ies drawn and quartered. They were executed in two 
batches on September 20 and 21. Ballard was among the 
first to go. Their executions were so bloody and horrific 
that the crowd witnessing them was revolted. They were 
hanged but were cut down before they were dead and 
were butchered alive. Queen Elizabeth also was revolted 
at the news and ordered the second batch of conspira- 
tors to be hanged until they were dead and their bodies 
then butchered. 

The Babington plot thus was foiled and ultimately led 
to the execution of Mary, queen of Scots in 1587. 

Meanwhile, Weston did not sit idle in Wisbech Castle 
but continued to stir up warring religious factions among 
English Catholics. In 1602, an inquiry was launched into 
the Denham exorcisms, followed by the publication of 
the broadsheet, which may have been part of an effort to 
smear Weston. 


FURTHER READING: 

Walker, D. P Unclean Spirits: Possession and Exorcism in 
France and England in the Late Sixteenth and Early Seven- 
teenth Centuries. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania 
Press, 1981. 


Devil The personification of evil. In Christianity, Devil 
is the proper name for the evil counterpart to God, who 
rules the torments of HELL and commands armies of 
DEMONs. The Devil represents darkness, chaos, destruc- 
tion, suffering, and the complete absence of good, light, 
and love. The word devil, spelled in lowercase, also is a 
generic term used interchangeably with demon to denote 
a lower-ranking evil entity. 


62 Devil 


The term devil is derived from the Greek diabolos 
(slanderer or accuser), in turn translated from the He- 
brew word SATAN. The concept of the Devil as archfiend 
of evil developed slowly over many centuries, becoming 
a composite of LUCIFER, the FALLEN ANGEL whose pride 
and ego cause him to be expelled from heaven; Satan, the 
tempter of humans; and pagan deities such as Pan and 
Cernunnos. 

In non-Western traditions, evil is expressed through 
deities, who are seldom completely evil. The gods of a 
conquered people become devils or evil; Christianity de- 
monized pagan gods as it spread in dominance. 


Evolution of the Devil 

The Christian Devil evolved from ideas and personifica- 
tions of evil in Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and classical 
mythology and in Hebrew demonology. Egyptian gods 
embody qualities of both good and evil, but the god Set 
personifies more of the dark side than others. As the evil 
brother of Osiris, Set represents chaos and destruction. 
In myth, he slays Osiris, dismembers him, and scatters 
parts of his body. Osiris’ wife, Isis, reassembles them and 
reanimates the corpse long enough for a sexual union, 
which produces the son Horus. 

Mesopotamian demons are the offspring of gods, such 
as Tiamat, the goddess of chaos and the primordial wa- 
ters, and her partner, Apsu, as well as the high god Anu. 
Demons rule diseases, illnesses, nightmares, plagues, 
and all misfortunes that befall living things. They are 
grotesque and deformed and often part-human and part- 
animal. Protections against them are gained through AM- 
ULETs, incantations, and MAGIC. 

In ZOROASTRIANISM, the one God, Ahuru Mazda (who 
became Ohrmazd), generates the twins Spenta Mainyu, 
who is holy, and Angra Mainyu (who became AHRIMAN), 
who is evil and destructive. The creation story varies ac- 
cording to the streams of Zoroastrianism. In one, Ahuru 
Mazda and Ahriman are separated by a void. As does the 
Christian Devil, Ahriman dwells in darkness on the op- 
posite side of the void and is fated to be conquered by 
good, Ohrmazd. 

Ahriman sees the light of good across the void and 
lusts for it. He sends his weapons of destruction, which 
include toads, scorpions, SERPENTs, lust, and chaos, 
against Ohrmadz. Ohrmadz offers a truce of redemption, 
but Ahriman refuses it. Orhmadz reveals his fated defeat, 
which sends Ahriman spinning unconscious into the 
outer reaches of the void for 3,000 years. He revives with 
the help of Jeh, a whore, and engages Ohrmazd in battle 
for 6000 years, foreshadowing the Armageddon of REv- 
ELATION. In the first 3,000 years, the forces of good and 
evil are balanced. In the final 3,000 years, good triumphs 
over evil. In his assault, Ahriman tears apart the sky and 
creates the hours of night and darkness, and violence and 
destruction of life. He creates hordes of demons. 

Ahriman corrupts the man and woman who are the 
ancestors of humanity, Mashye and Mashyane, by tempt- 


The Devil tempting St. Patrick (AUTHOR’S COLLECTION) 


ing them to believe the lie that he, not Ohrmazd, cre- 
ated the material world. Ohrmazd creates forces of good 
that bind Ahriman, ultimately enabling the world to be 
repaired. But in the last phase of the battle, the entire cos- 
mos shakes and much destruction is done. Stars fall from 
the sky. Ohrmadz either destroys Ahriman or imprisons 
him forever. 

In the Yasht text, Ahriman will be defeated by the 
coming of a Saoshyant, or Savior. Three saviors will come 
forward, and the third, a son of Zarathustra conceived 
by a virgin, will destroy evil and bring forth the reign of 
righteousness. The world will be restored, the dead will 
arise, and life and immortality will arrive. 

In classical mythology, the gods and goddesses all 
have both good and evil characteristics; there is no one 
personification of evil alone. Shades of the dead live in a 
dull, shadowy realm, Hades, the lowest level of which is 
Tartarus, a pit or abyss in which the wicked are tormented. 
Greek philosophy evolved along the lines of moral good 
and evil, and the distinguishing of the originally ambiva- 
lent DAIMONes into good demons and evil demons. 

The Judaic concept of the Devil developed slowly. 
The Old Testament tells of different satans, or accusers, 
rather than a single Satan. One of these is permitted by 
God to test the faith of Job. The apocalyptic literature 
placed the harsh and punishing aspects in certain angels, 
such as MASTEMA, the only significant angel mentioned 
by name in the book of Jubilees. In Enoch, the WATCHERS 
are wicked angels whose fall, of their own choice, leads 


Devil 63 


to evil on the earth. The Testaments of the Twelve Patri- 
archs name BELIAL, or Satan, as the leader of evil angels. 
SAMMAEL and AZAZEL also are named as leaders of wicked 
angels, who dwell in darkness. The apocalyptic literature 
developed a more dualistic idea of evil personified in the 
Devil as the head of a realm of darkness whose primary 
role is to seduce, accuse, and destroy. 

In Islam, the Devil is not the dualistic counterpart to 
God, but a high-level being—either an angel or DJINN— 
who chooses to fall from grace rather than bow to God’s 
first human, Adam. The Devil is most often named SHAY- 
TAN in the Qur'an, an accursed and rejected rebel who has 
God’s permission to use temptation to corrupt souls. He 
has no power over those who love God. God has no power 
over his demonic servants, the Shaitan. The Devil is part 
of God's creation and plan involving punishment and test- 
ing. The Qur’an also gives the name of IBLIS as the Devil. 

There is no concept of original sin in the Qur’an. 
Adam and Eve sinned but did not pass on the taint to oth- 
ers. Humans are prone to evil and, therefore, vulnerable 
to the snares of the Devil. The Devil vows to put all of 
Adam’s descendants under his sway. 

In the New Testament of Christianity, the Devil be- 
comes more personal and the great antagonist of God as 
well as humans. He is a fallen angel, the leader of hordes 
of fallen angels-turned-demons, and he is the principle 
of evil itself. He has power over the physical world. His 
forces of darkness are pitched in war against God’s forces 
of light. JESUS, as the Son of God, goes to Earth in order to 
defeat him. Revelation forecasts that Christ, in his second 
coming, will bind the Devil for one thousand years, at 
which time the Devil will reappear one final time, as the 
Antichrist, before being destroyed. The dualism of Chris- 
tianity became firmly established, with a god of light and 
goodness and a god of evil and darkness. 

In 325, the Council of Nicaea confirmed that God was 
the creator of everything visible and invisible. Therefore, 
the Devil was originally created good but chose the path 
of evil. 

It was not until later in Christianity that the Devil was 
seen as the ruler and inhabitant of hell. These concepts 
were more firmly cemented in literature, such as authored 
by Dante and John Milton. 

By the Middle Ages, the Devil was a real, potent be- 
ing who possessed terrible supernatural powers and was 
intent upon destroying humans by undermining their 
morals. In this pursuit, he was aided by an army of evil 
demons. This army expanded to include heretics and sor- 
cerers, whose magic posed a threat to the divine miracles 
of the church. Witches were included, first as associates 
of sorcerers, then as heretics. 

Preachers in the Renaissance and Reformation 
pounded fear of the Devil into their followers by con- 
stantly inveighing against his attempts to pervert people 
and turn them away from God. Satan’s kingdom was the 
material world. He would tempt people with false riches, 


luxuries, and carnal pleasures, only to claim their souls 
for eternal damnation in the end. His chief means of at- 
tacking others was through demonic possession. Pacts 
with the Devil, which date back to the sixth century, be- 
came implied; any consort with the Devil automatically 
meant one had entered into a diabolic pact. John Stearne, 
the assistant to Matthew Hopkins, England’s notorious 
witch finder of the 17th century, was of the opinion that 
the preachers’ obsession with Satan encouraged witches 
to worship him. 


Appearance of the Devil 

Christianity portrays the true form of the Devil as ugly, 
deformed, and reptilian: a human torso and limbs with 
reptilian head, clawed hands and feet, a tail, and scaly 
snakeskin. He has horns, which signify power and as- 
sociation with the dark forces—night, chaos, the Moon, 
death, and the underworld—and fertility, the latter of 
which is reinforced by an enormous phallus. 

The Devil is a shape shifter, appearing in many guises 
in order to trick people. His most common human shape 
was that of a tall black man or a tall man, often handsome, 
dressed in black. Black is universally associated with fear, 
evil, the dark, and chaos. Henri Boguet, a 16th- and 17th- 
century jurist in witch trials, stated that “whenever he 
(the Devil) assumes the form of a man, he is, however, 
always black, as all witches bear witness. And for my part 
I hold that there are two principle reasons for this: first, 
that he who is the Father and Ruler of darkness may not 


Depiction of the Devil from the 1957 film Night of the Demon 
(AUTHOR’S COLLECTION) 


64 devil fsh 


be able to disguise himself so well that he may not always 
be known for what he is; secondly, as proof that his study 
is only to do evil; for evil, as Pythagoras said, is symbol- 
ized by black.” 

When not in black, the Devil is most frequently in red. 

St. Paul stated that the Devil can appear disguised 
as an angel of light. His disguises of good also include 
saints, the Virgin Mary, comely young women, handsome 
young men, and preachers. 

The Devil appears in a multitude of animal shapes, 
most commonly as a BLACK DOG, SERPENT, goat, or cat. He 
also has ugly appearances: As the alleged god of witches, 
he was portrayed as half-human, half-animal, like Pan, 
with horns, cloven feet, hairy legs, a tail, a huge penis, 
glowing eyes, and saturnine features. 

The Devil appeared to MARTIN LUTHER in the form of 
a monk with bird claw hands, according to an account 
written by Georgius Godelmannus in 1591. Godelman- 
nus relates that while he was studying law at the Uni- 
versity of Wittenberg, Germany, he heard a story from 
several of his teachers about a monk who appeared and 
knocked hard upon the door of Luther. He was invited in 
and began to speak of papist errors and other theologi- 
cal matters. Luther grew impatient and said his time was 
being wasted, and the monk should consult a Bible for 
answers. At that point, he noticed that the monk’s hands 
were like bird claws. Luther showed the monk a passage 
in Genesis that says, “The seed of the woman shall bruise 
the head of the serpent.” Exposed, the Devil went into a 
rage, threw about Luther’s ink and writing materials, and 
fled, leaving behind him a stench that lasted for days. 


The Devil as Buffoon 

In legend, the Devil is often portrayed in a lighter fash- 
ion, perhaps to lessen the fear inspired by the clergy. He 
is called by nicknames such as Jack, Old Nick, Old Horny, 
and Lusty Dick. Buffoonish and somewhat dim-witted, 
he can be easily tricked, as in the numerous versions of 
the DEVILS BRIDGE, in which the Devil builds a bridge in 
return for the soul of the first to cross the bridge but is 
fooled when a dog or cat is sent across. In other tales, the 
Devil shoots off arrows and rocks to try to destroy vil- 
lages and churches but always misses the mark. He con- 
stantly tries to makes PACTs with people in order to get 
control of their souls but fails. 


Devils versus Demons 

In both theology and folklore, the distinction between the 
Devil as Prince of Evil and his hordes of demons often 
blurs. “The Devil” can refer to both. Joseph Glanvil ob- 
served in Saducismus Triumphatus (1681), “The Devil is a 
name for a body politic, in which there are very different 
orders and degrees of spirits, and perhaps in as much va- 
riety of place and state, as among ourselves.” 


FURTHER READING: 
Finlay, Anthony. Demons! The Devil, Possession and Exorcism. 
London: Blandford, 1999. 


Pagels, Elaine. The Origins of Satan. New York: Random 
House, 1995. 

Rudwin, Maximilian. The Devil in Legend and Literature. La 
Salle, Ill.: Open Court, 1959. 

Russell, Jeffrey Burton. The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from 
Antiquity to Primitive Christianity. Ithaca, N.Y., and Lon- 
don: Cornell University Press, 1977. 


devil fish A type of ray fish used by Mexican witches 
(brujas or brujos) in the casting of spells. When dried, 
the devil fish resembles a man with a horned head, tail, 
and webbed arms. It is considered effective for prevent- 
ing gossiping of neighbors. 


Devil’s Advocate, The (1997) Horror film about a 
young, ambitious attorney who is seduced and deceived 
by the DEVIL. Directed by Taylor Hackford, the film stars 
Al Pacino as John Milton, the Devil in disguise, and 
Keanu Reaves as Kevin Lomax. Charlize Theron plays 
Lomax’s wife, Mary Ann. 

Lomax is a defense attorney representing an accused 
child molester on trial. He knows his client is guilty, 


Keanu Reeves as Kevin Lomax, a lawyer who bargains for 
business success with Al Pacino, as John Milton, the Devil 
in disguise, in The Devil’s Advocate (1997) (AUTHOR'S 
COLLECTION) 


Devil’s bridge 65 


but he destroys the prosecution’s witness and his client 
is acquitted. He is immediately approached by Milton, 
partner in the world’s most powerful law firm, Milton, 
Chadwick & Waters, with a tantalizing job offer. He ac- 
cepts. He is assigned questionable cases involving guilty 
people and wins them all. Milton offers to relieve him of 
cases, but he declines, in a fever of winning at all costs. 

Meanwhile, Milton rapes Mary Ann and she has a psy- 
chotic break. Lomax commits her to a mental ward, where 
she commits suicide. He then learns from his mother that 
Milton is really his father. He confronts Milton and learns 
the truth, that Milton is also SATAN. Horrified, he tries to 
shoot Milton, but the bullets do no harm. 

Milton tells Lomax that he wants him to have sex with 
Lomax’s half sister, Christabella, to conceive the ANTI- 
CHRIST. But Lomax thwarts the plan by committing sui- 
cide himself. 

The action shifts back to the opening of the child 
molestation trial, but with a different outcome. Lomax, 
overcome by his own conscience, decides to step down 
from representation, even though he is likely to be dis- 
barred. He is approached by a journalist who wants to 
interview him, saying the story will make him a star. 
Lomax agrees and exits the courthouse. The reporter 
shape shifts into Milton and says, “Vanity—definitely 
my favorite sin.” 


Devil’s arrows Stones flung by the DEVIL in attempts 
to destroy towns and churches. According to lore, the 
Devil usually has bad marksmanship, and the stones 
miss their mark and stick upright in the air. 

The Devil's Arrow is an alignment of three stand- 
ing stones near Boroughbridge, Yorkshire, England. The 
stones were quarried, and the reason they were placed 
in a 570-foot-long alignment is not known. The tallest 
is 22.5 feet high. The Devil, angry at the people of the 
nearby town of Aldborough, went up to the top of Howe 
Hill and fired off three giant arrows of stone, intent on 
demolishing the town. The stones fell harmlessly to Earth 
and stuck upright in a straight line. 

Also in Yorkshire, a monolith stands up from the graves 
beside an old Norman church at Rudston. The stone is 
25.5 feet high, six feet wide, and about two feet thick, 
weighing about 40 tons. It may have once marked a pagan 
sacred site, and the church may have been built around it. 
The local legend says that the Devil threw the stone at the 
church in an attempt to destroy it but missed. 


FURTHER READING: 
Bord, Janet, and Colin Bord. Mysterious Britain. London: 
Granada, 1974. 


Devil’s book A black book kept by the Devil listing all 
persons who have pledged PACTs with him. 

In accounts of witch trials during the Inquisition and 
the writings of demonologists, the Devil held out his book 
at SABBATs and had his new recruits swear their allegiance 


to him by placing their hand upon the book. The recruits 
then signed their names in the book in their own BLOOD. 
Some witches said that the books also contained spells 
and CHARMS for evil deeds. 


Devil’s bridge An old bridge, especially in England 
and Europe, said to have been built by the DEVIL or his 
DEMONS. 

According to ancient lore, demons were master archi- 
tects and builders. King SOLOMON commanded legions of 
them to build his temples (see DJINN). Medieval folklore 
held that whenever engineers and architects needed help 
or ran out of resources, the Devil and his demons would 
appear—or could be summoned—to lend a helping hand. 
The infernal beings were called upon most often for help 
with bridges but also were said to assist with construc- 
tion of castles. 

Devil’s bridges are found in Britain, Spain, Germany, 
Switzerland, and France. There is a Devil’s Bridge in Ein- 
siedeln, Switzerland, near the birthplace of Paracelsus. 
In France, the Pont de Valentre bridge at Cahors was be- 
lieved to be entirely constructed by the Devil. 


Sy WHINE, 


h 


LA CLILLLILL 7, 

RE LE, Wap i LE NN Ade ape 
TP OLE RS Naas Th nal SF 
ae SwA Me ead \ ies 
i T __. co ae 
ane, — ~~ a) = : -1 ee 


St. Cado and the Devil above a Devils bridge (AUTHOR'S 
COLLECTION) 


66 Devil’s hose 


The Devil’s price for this service was the soul of the 
first creature who crossed the bridge. Folktales tells of 
local townsfolk tricking the Devil by sending a cat or dog 
across first. In the legend of the Devil’s Bridge across the 
Afon Mynach near Aberystwyth, Wales, an old woman 
spotted her cow on the opposite side of a chasm, unreach- 
able. The Devil appeared in disguise and offered to cre- 
ate a bridge if she would give him the first living thing 
that crossed over it. She agreed, though she knew she was 
dealing with the Devil, because she had noticed his clo- 
ven hooves. When the bridge was completed, she threw a 
crust of bread across it and sent her dog to fetch it, sacri- 
ficing him to the Devil. 

In Somerset, England, the Tarr Steps is a prehistoric 
stone bridge dating to about 1000 B.C.E. that crosses the 
river Barle near Winsford. Some of the stones weigh five 
tons. According to lore, the bridge was built by the Devil 
in one night to win a wager against a giant who had chal- 
lenged his power. 


Devil’s horse In Ozark folklore, the colloquial name 
for the praying mantis. It is considered bad luck to dis- 
turb a praying mantis, because it might spit tobacco juice 
into one’s eye and cause blindness. In some rural parts, 
the Devil's horse is thought, falsely, to be poisonous. 


Devil’s mark A permanent mark made upon the body 
by the DEVIL as part of a PACT. Sometimes called a 
“witch’s mark,” the Devil's mark was a telltale sign and 
damning evidence in the witch trials of the Inquisition. 

According to demonologists, the Devil always per- 
manently marked the bodies of his initiates to seal their 
pledge of obedience and service to him. At the moment 
they renounced their faith, he marked them by raking 
his claw across the flesh or using a hot iron, which left a 
mark, usually blue or red, but not always a scar. Some- 
times he left a mark by licking people. Branding was done 
when recruits were initiated at SABBATs and when anyone 
entered into a formal pledge of allegiance to the Devil. 

The marks could be anywhere on the body. In his 
book Demonolatry (1595), NICHOLAS REMY listed brows, 
left shoulders, hips, breasts, tops of heads, and backs as 
places bearing marks. Sometimes the marks were made in 
“secret places,” such as under eyelids, in armpits, and in 
body cavities. According to FRANCESCO-MARIA GUAZZO, 
an Italian demonologist of the 17th century, in his work 
Compendium Maleficarum (1608): 


And the mark is not always of the same description; for 
at times it is like the footprint of a hare, or a spider or a 
dog or a dormouse. Neither does he always mark them 
upon the same place: for on men it is generally found 
on the eye-lids, or the arm-pit or lips or shoulder or 
posterior; whereas on women it is found on the breasts 
or private parts. 


The Devil's mark was considered the proof of WITCH- 
CRAFT and sorcery. It was believed that every person who 


trafficked with the Devil had one or more, and it was usu- 
ally insensitive to pain. Persons accused of witchcraft 
and brought to trial were thoroughly searched for such a 
mark, and some had all their body and head hair shaved 
off in the process. Pins were driven into scars, moles, 
warts, and skin discolorations. If the person felt little or 
no pain, or if there was no bleeding, then a Devil’s mark 
was declared. 

Inquisitors believed that the mark of SATAN was 
clearly distinguishable from ordinary blemishes, but in 
actuality, that was seldom the case. Protests from the 
victims that the marks were natural were ignored. If no 
mark was found, or if pricking a mark caused pain, in- 
quisitors declared them Devil’s marks anyway, falling 
back on authoritative statements made by Guazzo and 
others that the Devil did not necessarily mark every- 
one, but only those he suspected of turning on him, and 
some of the marks were painless and others were not. 
Some inquisitors held that Devil’s marks could even be 
invisible. An innocent person had no way around a de- 
termined inquisitor. 

Once Devil’s marks were found, victims were tortured 
into confessing how they were acquired. No less than 
tales of pacts and wild initiatory rites at sabbats would 
satisfy the inquisitors. 


FURTHER READING: 
Guazzo, Francesco-Maria. Compendium Maleficarum. Secau- 
cus, N.J.: University Books, 1974. 

Lea, Henry Charles. Materials toward a History of Witchcraft. 
Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1939. 
Remy, Nicholas. Demonolatry. Secaucus, N.J.: University 

Books, 1974. 


Devil’s Missal Book said to be used in the performance 
of a BLACK MASS or infernal SABBAT rites. The Devil’s Mis- 
sal is the unholy replacement for the Bible and is full of 
CURSEs and blasphemies. 

Descriptions of the Devil’s Missal were given by ac- 
cused witches and Devil worshippers during the peak of 
witch hunts, especially in the 16th and 17th centuries. 
One account recorded by Pierre de Lancre from a trial in 
Orléans, France, in 1614 said that 


the Sabbat was held in a house. . . . He [the accused] saw 
there a tall dark man opposite to the one who was in a 
corner of the ingle, and this man was perusing a book, 
whose leaves seemed black & crimson, & he kept mut- 
tering between his teeth although what he said could not 
be heard, and presently he elevated a black host and then 
a chalice of some cracked pewter, all foul and filthy. 


Another man accused in the same trial said: 


Mass was said, and the Devil was celebrant. He was 
vested in a chasuble upon which was a broken cross. 
He turned his back to the altar when he was about to 
elevate the Host and the Chalice, which were both black. 
He read in a mumbling tone from a book, the cover of 


djinn 67 


which was soft and hairy like a wolf’s skin. Some leaves 
were white and red, others black. 


Madeleine Bavent, one of the chief afflicted nuns in 
the LOUVIERS POSSESSIONS of 1647, gave this description 
of the missal: 


Mass was read from the book of blasphemies, which 
contained the canon. This same volume was used in pro- 
cessions. It was full of the most hideous curses against 
the Holy Trinity, the Holy Sacrament of the Altar, the 
other Sacraments and ceremonies of the Church. It was 
written in a language completely unknown to me. 


FURTHER READING: 
Summers, Montague. The History of Witchcraft and Demonol- 
ogy. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, 1926. 


djinn (genii, ginn, jann, jinn, shayatin, shaytan) In 
Arabic lore, a type of interfering spirit, often demonlike, 
but not equivalent to a DEMON. As are the Greek DAIM- 
ones, djinn are self-propagating and can be either good 
or evil. They possess supernatural powers and can be 
conjured in magical rites to perform various tasks and 
services. A djinn appears as a wish-granting “genie” in 
many Arabic folktales such as those in The Book of One 
Thousand and One Nights. 


Early Lore 

In pre-Islamic lore, the djinn are malicious, are born of 
smokeless fire, and are not immortal. They live with other 
supernatural beings in the Kaf, a mythical range of emer- 
ald mountains that encircles the earth. They like to roam 
the deserts and wilderness. They are usually invisible but 
have the power to shape shift to any form, be it insect, 
other animal, or human. 

King SOLOMON used a magic ring to control djinn 
and protect him from them. The ring was set with a gem, 
probably a diamond, that had a living force of its own. 
With the ring, Solomon branded the necks of the djinn 
as his slaves. 

One story tells that a jealous djinn (sometimes 
identified as ASMODEUS) stole the ring while Solomon 
bathed in the river Jordan. The djinn seated himself 
on Solomon’s throne at his palace and reigned over his 
kingdom, forcing Solomon to become a wanderer. God 
compelled the djinn to throw the ring into the sea. Sol- 
omon retrieved it and punished the djinn by imprison- 
ing him in a bottle. 

According to another story, Solomon took djinn to 
his crystal-paved palace, where they sat at tables made 
of iron. The Qur’an tells how the king made them work 
at building palaces and making carpets, ponds, stat- 
ues, and gardens. Whenever Solomon wanted to travel 
to faraway places, the djinn carried him there on their 
backs. 

Solomon forced the djinn to build the Temple of Jeru- 
salem and all of the city as well. 


Djinn in Muslim Lore 

Islamic theology absorbed and modified the djinn; some 
became beautiful and good-natured. According to the 
Muslim faith, humans are created from clay and water, 
and the essence of angels is light. Djinn were created on 
the day of creation from the smokeless fire, or the essen- 
tial fire. They are invisible to most people except under 
certain conditions; however, dogs and donkeys are able to 
see them. They were on the Earth before human beings, 
but it is unknown how long. By some accounts, they were 
created 2,000 years before Adam and Eve and are equal to 
angels in stature. Their ruler, IBLIS (also called Shaytan), 
refused to worship Adam and so was cast out of heaven, 
along with his followers. Iblis became the equivalent of 
the Devil, and the followers all became demons. Iblis’ 
throne is in the sea. 

As do humans, djinn have free will and are able to 
understand good and evil. The Qur’an states that the 
purpose of their creation is the same as that of humans, 
which is to worship God. They are responsible for their 
actions and will be judged at the Last Judgment. It is said 
that HELL will be filled with djinn and humans together. 

Conflicting stories about the djinn abound, similar to 
conflicting stories about ANGELs and demons. According 
to some accounts, there are three types of djinn: 


1. Those who are able to fly. These djinn can be heavy 
or light, tall or thin, and are shape shifters with 
very flexible bodies. 

2. Those who reside in a given area and cannot travel 
out of that area. They may live in abandoned 
houses. 

3. Those who manifest as snakes, scorpions, creeping 
animals, and dogs (especially BLACK DOGS, who are 
devils or IBLIS) and cats. A cat should not be chased 
away early in the morning or late at night, lest it be 
a shape-shifted djinn, who will take revenge. 


Muhammad warned the people to cover their utensils, 
close their doors, and keep their children close to them 
at night, as the djinn spread out at night and take things. 
He also warned people to put out their lights, as the djinn 
could drag away the wicks and start a fire. However, they 
will not open a locked door, untie a knot, or uncover a 
vessel. If people find a snake in their house, they should 
call out to it for three days before killing it. If the snake is 
a shape-shifted djinn, it will leave. 

The djinn can be converted, as sura 72 of the Qur’an 
indicates: “It has been revealed to me that a company of 
the Djinn gave ear, then they said ‘we have indeed heard 
a Quran wonderful, guiding to rectitude”” Muhammad 
converted djinn by reciting the Qur’an to them. However, 
all djinn are unreliable and deceitful, even if converted. 

The djinn will guard graves if commanded to do so by 
WITCHCRAFT; in Egypt, it is bad luck to open a pharaoh’s 
tomb, for the guarding djinn will harm anyone who vio- 
lates the sacred space. 


68 djinn 


Djinn Life 

The life span of djinn is much longer than that of hu- 
mans, but they do die. They are both male and female and 
have children. They eat meat, bones, and dung of ani- 
mals. They play, sleep, and have animals. 

Descriptions of their appearances vary. They may have 
the legs of a goat, a black tail, or a hairy body. They may 
be exceptionally tall and have their eyes set vertically in 
their heads. 

Although they can live anywhere on the planet, they 
prefer deserts, ruins, and places of impurity like grave- 
yards, garbage dumps, bathrooms, camel pastures, and 
hashish dens. They also can live in the houses where peo- 
ple live. They love to sit in places between the shade and 
the sunlight and move around when the dark first falls. 
They also like marketplaces, and Muslims are warned not 
to be the first to enter the market or the last to leave it. 

In Islam, it is believed that humans are unable to get 
in touch with the deceased, learn about the future or what 
happens after death, or be healed, as these phenomena 
are in God’s realm. Djinn have limited powers in these ar- 
eas. Djinn can appear to humans as the spirits of the dead 
and communicate with the living through visions and 
voices. Those who learn the medicinal qualities of plants 
through the plants’ talking to them are actually speaking 
with devils. It was the djinn who taught humans SORCERY. 
(See WATCHERS.) 

Djinn will eat human food, stealing its energy, unless 
people say the name Allah prior to eating. 


Marriage between Humans and Djinn 
As do FAIRIES, djinn fall in love with humans and marry 
them. There is no direct evidence of it, and no children 
have qualities of both djinn and human. A clan in the 
United Arab Emirates claims to descend from a female 
djinn. There is controversy over whether it is lawful to 
marry djinn, but most Islamic jurists believe it is unlaw- 
ful. There also seems to be controversy as to whether a 
mixed marriage will be able to produce children. If the 
mother is human, the children will be visible and look 
like humans. If the mother is djinn, the children will be 
invisible. 

Djinn interfere in human relationships. If they fall 
in love with a human, they try to disrupt marriages and 
other relationships. 


Possession by Djinn 

Ordinary human acts can kill or hurt djinn without 
people being aware of doing so. When that happens, 
djinn possess the offending people in order to take re- 
venge on them. Others who are vulnerable to posses- 
sion are those who live alone, for djinn are opposed to 
community. 

As do the daimones, pairs of djinn stay with each per- 
son. One whispers good; the other whispers evil. The 
moods of humans can be affected by the djinn, ranging 
from happiness to sadness for no known reason. Al- 


though they are able to affect peoples’ minds and bodies, 
they have no power over the soul or heart. 

When possessed, the person appears to be insane and 
exhibits signs of anger, anxiety, and depression. A wom- 
an’s voice will sound like a man’s, and a man’s voice will 
sound like a woman’s. Physical symptoms include nausea 
after eating, headaches, frequent desire to fight, heavy 
shoulders, a constant feeling of dissatisfaction, and a de- 
sire to commit suicide. 

Asking the djinn to leave may not be enough to induce 
him or her to go, and someone who is trained may be 
needed to perform an EXORCISM to expel the djinn from 
the body. (See ZAR.) 


Modern Experiences of Djinn 

Djinn are still prominent in modern superstitions, and 
encounters with them occur all the time. They are vis- 
ible in great numbers to those who can see them. In the 
Middle East, beliefs about djinn are strong in certain ar- 
eas. Upper-middle-class people in urban areas tend to 
look upon djinn beliefs as superstition, but in rural and 
remote areas, the djinn hold sway. 

David Morehouse, a retired remote viewer (clairvoy- 
ant) for the U.S. military, relates in his book Psychic War- 
rior how he had temporary visions of djinn due to a head 
injury. He was among American troops camped with Jor- 
danian troops for training exercises in Jordan at Baten el 
Ghoul, which means “Belly of the Beast.” 


The Jordanians considered it a haunted valley, where the 
demons came out at night to murder people. It was not 
unusual to have one’s sleep interrupted by the screams 
and howls of frightened Jordanian soldiers who swore in 
the light of day that they had seen a demon. . . . Baten el 
Ghoul was a desolate and jagged valley carved out of the 
desert that spilled over from Saudi Arabia. There was no 
life there except arachnids. 


Morehouse was accidentally shot in the helmet, an 
injury that left a huge lump on his head. After this, he 
experienced djinn: 


Sometime in the night, my eyes opened to a surreal light 
outside the tent. It was like the light of an eclipsed sun 
and wasn't coming from any stove. It filled the night sky. 
The entire Baten el Ghoul and the hills beyond were 
bathed in the strange bluish gray light; I walked to the 
edge of the bluff and stared into the valley. Dark figures 
moved effortlessly across its floor, like apparitions. They 
poured from the rocks in various heaps and shapes and 
moved about the clusters of tents. I could hear muffled 
cries from the Jordanian encampment, and momentarily 
I thought we were being overrun by thieves or Israe- 
lis. Panicked, I turned to run for help. Colliding with 
one of the figures, I reflexively closed my eyes, except I 
didn’t collide. I walked right through it. Turning around 
I watched the figure disappear over the edge of the bluff. 


After that, the lump on his head disappeared. 


Dozmary Pol 69 


FURTHER READING: 

Ahmad, Salim. Revealing the Mystery behind the World of Jinn. 
Booksurge.com: 2008. 

al-Ashqar, Umar Sulaiman. The World of the Jinn and Dev- 
ils. Translated by Jamaal al-Din M. Zarabozo. New York: 
Al-Basheer Company for Publications and Translations, 
1998. 

de Givry, Emile Grillot. Witchcraft, Magic and Alchemy. 1931. 
Reprint, New York: Dover Publications, 1971. 

Frieskens, Barbara. Living with Djinns: Understanding and 
Dealing with the Invisible in Cairo. London: Saqi Books, 
2008. 

Morehouse, David. Psychic Warrior: Inside the CIAS Stargate 
Program: The True Story of a Soldiers Espionage and Awak- 
ening. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1996. 

Doctor Faustus See FAUST. 

Doris Fischer Obsession Case of spirit OPPRESSION 

investigated by the psychical researcher JAMES HERVEY 

HYsLop. 

In 1914, Hyslop became involved in the case of Do- 
ris Fischer, whose real name was Brittia L. Fritschle. 
The case was first reported by Dr. W. Franklin Prince, 
an Episcopal minister and psychologist. Fischer suffered 
an extreme traumatic incident as a child at the hands of 
her abusive and alcoholic father and had exhibited mul- 
tiple personalities since she was three in 1892. She also 
displayed striking psychic tendencies, able to foresee her 
mother’s sudden illness and death. Fischer and her sib- 
lings continued to live with their father, but she retreated 
more and more into the personalities of “sick Doris” and 
the wicked “Margaret.” Fischer was eventually adopted by 
Prince and his wife. Prince was familiar with the newly 
recognized syndrome of multiple personality, and he and 
his wife helped Fischer to regain some normalcy. 

For years, Hyslop had postulated that some psychotic 
states were caused—or at least aggravated—by spirit in- 
fluence. Although not a spiritualist per se, Hyslop sympa- 
thized with the cult’s psychic “cures” and believed that 
spiritual communication was just as important as physi- 
ological therapy. With that in mind, Hyslop took Fischer 
to sit with a medium, Minnie Soule, hoping to find and 
eliminate the possessive spirits who were destroying the 
girl’s peace of mind. 

During the séances, Soule communicated lengthy 
messages to Fischer from her mother. The medium also 
heard from Count Cagliostro. Hyslop did not like Caglio- 
stro’s presence and encouraged him to leave the séances 
and Fischer. Later researchers speculate that Cagliostro 
represented sexual mores that both Hyslop and Fischer 
suppressed but secretly desired. 

Next, Soule heard from the spirit of Richard Hodg- 
son, who confirmed Hyslop’s suspicions of spirit influ- 
ence and promised to help all he could. Finally, Soule 
received messages from a young Indian spirit calling 
herself “Minnehaha,” or “Laughing Water.” Hyslop was 


skeptical of such a spirit, since Minnehaha is the hero- 
ine of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem “Hiawatha.” 
But he went along, impressed with Minnehaha’s knowl- 
edge of Fischer’s case and her claims that she had caused 
many of Doris’ problems. After further communications, 
Hyslop began to believe that the personality “Margaret” 
was not an offshoot of Doris’ mind but a possessing 
spirit herself. 

Hyslop asked why these spirits hurt Fischer and was 
told by Soule’s communicators that they were evil influ- 
ences. The controls also told Hyslop that Fischer’s case 
was no different from hundreds of other instances of in- 
sanity and multiple personality that could easily be cured 
through psychic exorcism. By 1915, Hyslop was convinced 
that Fischer was possessed, and he wrote of his experi- 
ences with her in his last book, Life after Death (1918). 

Hyslop believed that Cagliostro was leader of Fischer's 
possessing spirits, and he exorcized the count. Whatever 
other spirits remained were ineffectual, and Hyslop quit 
the case in the hope that Fischer had been cured. She 
returned with the Princes to California and resumed a 
normal life for a while. But she never recovered, finally 
dying in a mental hospital after years of dealing with her 
various personalities and psychic disturbances. 

The Fischer case was Hyslop’s last major investigation, 
although he never lost interest in the possibility of spirit 
obsession. 


FURTHER READING: 
Rogo, D. Scott. The Infinite Boundary. New York: Dodd, Mead, 
1987. 


Dorochiel DEMON among the 31 AERIAL SPIRITS OF SOL- 
OMON. Dorochiel rules in the west and north as a prince. 
Forty dukes attend him during the day and 40 more at 
night. In order to summon the dukes and their servants, a 
magician must pay attention to the planetary hours when 
they rule. All are good-natured and agreeable. The 12 
dukes of the morning are Magael, Artino, Efiel, Maniel/ 
Efiel, Suriet/Maniel, Carsiel/Suriel, Casiel, Fabiel, Carba, 
Merach, Althor, and Omiel. The 12 dukes of the afternoon 
are Gudiel, Asphor, Emuel, Soriel, Cabron, Diviel, Abriel, 
Danael, Lomor, Casael, Buisiel, and Larfos. The 12 dukes 
of the early evening are Nahaiel, Ofsiel, Bulls, Momel, 
Darborl, Paniel, Cursas, Aliel, Aroziel, Cusyne, Vraniel, 
and Pelusar. The 12 dukes who govern after midnight are 
Pafiel, Gariel, Soriel, Maziel, Futiel, Cayros, Narsial, 
Moziel, Abael, Meroth, Cadriel, and Lodiel. 


Dozmary Pool Small lake in the Bodmin Moor in 
Cornwall, England, associated with the DEVIL. Accord- 
ing to lore, the Devil sentenced JAN TREGEAGLE to bail 
out Dozmary Pool with a limpet shell, a task he could 
never complete. Similar punishments by the Devil are 
other tasks that can never be finished. 

Dozmary Pool also is associated with King Arthur and 
is one of the candidate lakes into which the dying Arthur 


70 Dregvant 


ordered Belvedere to cast his magical sword, Excalibur. A 
hand arose from the lake to seize the sword and return it 
to the Lady of the Lake, a FAIRY. The pool is haunted by 
mysterious lights and the ghosts of men and horses said 
to have drowned in it, perhaps after losing their way at 
night across the treacherous moor. 


Dregvant In Persian lore and ZOROASTRIANISM, a 
wicked and unrighteous DEMON of luxury and vice. 
Dregvants was a name given to the residents of the city of 
Gilan south of the Caspian Sea, who were considered to 
be fiends incarnate. 


Druj A female DEMON in ZOROASTRIANISM who repre- 
sents the principle of wickedness. Druj means “false- 
hood” and “deceit.” Drauga is the Old Persian version of 
the name. Druj is associated with AHRIMAN, the princi- 
pal evil being. In the final confrontation between good 
and evil, Asha will destroy Druj. 


druj In Persian lore and ZOROASTRIANISM, a class of 
chiefly female evil beings, sorcerers, monsters, fiends, 
the unrighteous, and the hosts of HELL. Some of the spe- 
cific drujes are the following: 


e Druj Nasu, the Corpse Fiend, who represents cor- 
ruption, decomposition, decay, contagion, and 
impurity. The glance of a dog can expel it from a 
corpse. It can be expelled from a living person by a 
bathing and purification ritual lasting nine days. 

e AZHI DAHAKA, half-man and half-monster with three 
heads, six eyes, three jaws, and two SERPENTs grow- 
ing out of his shoulders. Azhi Dahaka was created by 
AHRIMAN to wreak destruction in the world. He com- 
mitted incest with his mother, AUTAK, also a demon. 

e Sej, a personification of pestilence and “the fiend 
who brings about annihilation and misfortune.” 

e Jahi, a female druj of debauchery, whose name is the 
root of jahika, or “harlot” or “prostitute.” AHRIMAN 
kissed her and caused menstruation to begin in the 
world. Jahi’s name is also associated with wizards 
and sorcerers. 


Dumah (Douma) Angel of silence, the stillness of death, 
and vindication; the tutelary spirit of Egypt. In Aramaic, 
Dumah’s name means “silence.” He is a prince of HELL; in 
Babylonian legend, he guards the 14th gate. The Zohar 
Kabbalistic text describes him as a chief of Gehenna (hell) 
with tens of thousands of angels of destruction under his 
command and 12,000 myriads of attendants whose job it 


is to punish sinners. A small reference in the Talmud 
holds that even sinners have a day of rest on the sabbath 
and are released to roam the earth. At evening, Dumah 
herds them back into hell. Dumah releases all souls of the 
dead, not just sinners, to the Earth each evening for the 
first year after their deaths. 


dybbuk In Jewish demonology, an evil spirit or 
doomed soul that possesses a person’s body and soul, 
speaking through the person’s mouth and causing such 
torment and anguish that another personality appears to 
manifest itself. The term dybbuk (also spelled dibbuk) 
was coined in the 17th century from the language of Ger- 
man and Polish Jews. It is an abbreviation of two phrases: 
dibbuk me-rwah (a cleavage of an evil spirit) and dibbuk 
min ha-hizonim (dibbuk from the demonic side of man). 
Prior to the 17th century, the dybbuk was one of many 
evil spirits call ibbur. 

In early folklore, dybbukim were thought only to in- 
habit the bodies of sick persons. Possessive evil spirits are 
referred to in the Old Testament. For example, Samuel I 
describes the possession of Saul and the way David exor- 
cized the spirit by playing the harp. In the book of Tobit 
the archangel Raphael instructs Tobit in ways of EXOR- 
CISM. In the rabbinical literature of the first century, exor- 
cisms called for the ashes of a red heifer, or the roots of 
certain herbs, to be burned under the victim, who was 
then surrounded with water. Other methods included in- 
cantations in the name of King SOLOMON, repetition of 
the Divine Name of God, reading from Psalms, and wear- 
ing herbal AMULETs. 

By the 16th century, the concept of possessive evil 
spirits changed. Many Jews believed the spirits were 
transmigrated souls that could not enter a new body be- 
cause of their past sins and so were forced to possess the 
body of a living sinner. The spirits were motivated to pos- 
sess a body because they were tormented by other evil 
spirits if they did not. Some thought the dybbukim were 
the souls of people who were not properly buried and, 
therefore, became demons. 

The KABBALAH contains rituals for exorcizing a dyb- 
buk; many are still in use in modern times. The exorcism 
must be performed by a baal shem, a miracle-working 
rabbi. Depending on how the exorcism is done, the dyb- 
buk either is redeemed or is cast into HELL. It usually exits 
the body of its victim through the small toe, which shows 
a small, bloody hole as the point of departure. 


FURTHER READING: 
Winkler, Gershom. Dybbuk. New York: Judaica Press, 1982. 


Earling Possession (1928) One of the best-documented 
demonic POSSESSION cases in the 20th century. The pos- 
session of Anna Ecklund also is unusual for the combi- 
nation of demonic entities within one victim. 

Anna was born in the Midwest about 1882 and was 
raised a devout and pious Catholic. She first began show- 
ing the symptoms of possession—revulsion toward 
holy objects, inability to enter church, and disturbing 
thoughts about unspeakable sexual acts—at age 14, fi- 
nally becoming totally possessed in 1908. In the account 
of Anna’s travails, Begone Satan!, written in German by 
the Reverend Carl Vogl and translated into English by the 
Reverend Celestine Kapsner, O.S.B., Anna’s aunt Mina, a 
reputed witch, caused her possession by placing spells on 
herbs used in Anna’s food. Father Theophilus Riesinger, a 
native Bavarian and a Capuchin monk from the commu- 
nity of St. Anthony at Marathon, Wisconsin, successfully 
exorcized her on June 18, 1912, only to have her fall prey 
to the Devil again after her father heaped CURSEs on her 
and wished her possessed. In 1928, when Anna was 46 
years old, Father Theophilus tried again. 

Seeking a place where Anna was unknown, Father 
Theophilus approached his old friend, Father F. Joseph 
Steiger, parish priest in Earling, lowa. With great re- 
luctance, Father Steiger agreed that the exorcism could 
take place in the nearby convent of the Franciscan Sis- 
ters. Anna arrived in Earling on August 17, 1928. Trouble 
started immediately; sensing that someone had sprinkled 
holy water on her evening meal, Anna threw a fit, purring 


71 


like a cat, and refused to eat until unblessed food could 
be served. After that, the devils within her always knew 
whether one of the nuns had tried to bless the food or 
drink, and they always complained. 

The ancient ritual began in earnest the next morning. 
Father Theophilus had several of the strongest nuns hold 
Anna ona mattress laid upon an iron bed, and her clothes 
were bound tightly around her to prevent her from strip- 
ping herself. With Father Theophilus’ first exhortations 
Anna’s mouth clamped shut and she fell unconscious, 
followed almost immediately by an extraordinary feat of 
levitation. Rising swiftly from the bed, she hung onto the 
wall above the door like a cat, and it took great effort to 
pull her down. Although Anna was unconscious and her 
mouth never moved throughout the sessions, voices is- 
sued from within her, accompanied by screams, howls, 
and unearthly animal noises. Earling citizens, alarmed 
by the outcries, gathered at the convent, ruining Father 
Theophilus’ hopes of keeping the exorcism secret. 

Totaling 23 days, the exorcisms covered three ses- 
sions: from August 18 to the 26, from September 13 to 
20, and from December 15 to 23. Through it all, Anna’s 
physical state deteriorated to the point of death. She 
ate no food but only swallowed small amounts of milk 
or water. Nevertheless, she vomited enormous quanti- 
ties of foul-smelling debris, often resembling tobacco 
leaves, and spit prodigiously. Her face became horribly 
disfigured and distorted, often suffusing with blood as 
her head swelled and elongated, her eyes bulged, and her 


72 Eligor 


lips grew, reportedly, to the size of hands. Her abdomen 
would swell to the point of bursting, only to retract and 
become so hard and heavy that the iron bedstead would 
bend under the enormous weight. 

In addition to the physical changes, Anna under- 
stood languages previously unknown to her, recoiled 
at holy words and objects, and revealed clairvoyant 
knowledge by exposing secret childhood sins of the 
other participants. The nuns and Father Steiger were so 
frightened and troubled that none of them could stay in 
Anna’s room throughout the entire exorcism but instead 
worked in shifts. Father Steiger, taunted by the devils 
for having agreed to the exorcism in his parish, was 
especially harassed and suffered an auto accident that 
the devils had predicted and apparently arranged. Only 
Father Theophilus, confident of his powers, remained 
steadfast. 

Hordes of lesser devils and avenging spirits, described 
as like “a swarm of mosquitoes,” possessed Anna, but her 
principal tormentors were BEELZEBUB, Judas Iscariot, and 
the spirits of her father, Jacob, and his mistress, Anna’s 
aunt Mina. Beelzebub revealed himself first, engaging 
Father Theophilus in sarcastic theological conversations 
and acknowledging that the curses of Jacob, Anna's fa- 
ther, sent the devils into her at age 14. Father Theophilus 
tried to reach Jacob, only to be answered by a spirit iden- 
tifying himself as Judas Iscariot, who admitted he was 
there to torment Anna to commit suicide and thereby go 
to HELL. 

Jacob eventually spoke and said that he had cursed 
Anna for not submitting to his incestuous advances, call- 
ing upon the devil to tempt her with every unspeakable 
sin against chastity. In Begone Satan! the author describes 
Jacob’s life as “coarse and brutal,” taking Anna’s aunt 
Mina as a mistress while he was still married and repeat- 
edly trying to seduce Anna. At his death, a priest had ad- 
ministered extreme unction, but Jacob ridiculed him. The 
author continues: “In the judgment after death even all 
that was pardoned him, but (because) he had cursed his 
own daughter . . . that ultimately was the guilt of his eter- 
nal damnation. And so he was still scheming in hell how 
he could torture and molest his child. This Lucifer gladly 
permitted him to do.” Whether Anna’s virginity really 
remained intact, even at age 46, or whether she had re- 
pressed her sexual contact with her father is unknown. 

A high, falsetto voice, present from the beginning 
among the other voices, revealed itself as that of Mina. 
God had damned her for living with Jacob and for mur- 
dering four children. Begone Satan! suggests that the chil- 
dren were Mina’s own, but they may also have been mul- 
tiple abortions. The author describes Mina as any devil's 
equal for malice and hate, filled with spite and blasphem- 
ing the Blessed Sacrament. 

The author remarks that the truly amazing aspects of 
Anna’s possession were her basic virtue and pious dispo- 
sition throughout her ordeal, because “the devil has no 


power over the free will of a human being.” Sensing his 
eventual triumph, Father Theophilus continued to ex- 
hort the devils to depart, and by the latter part of Decem- 
ber 1928, they began to weaken and moan, rather than 
scream, against his efforts. Father Theophilus demanded 
that when they returned to hell, each should call out his 
name as a sign of his or her departure, and the devils 
agreed. 

On December 23, 1928, at about 9:00 P.M., Anna sud- 
denly jerked up and stood erect in bed, looking as if she 
were about to rise to the ceiling. Father Steiger called 
for the nuns to pull her down, while Father Theophilus 
blessed her and roared, “Depart ye fiends of hell! Begone 
Satan, the Lion of Juda reigns!” Anna crumpled back onto 
the bed as a terrible shout of “Beelzebub, Judas, Jacob, 
Mina” followed by “Hell, hell, hell” filled the room, re- 
peated several times until the sound seemed to fade into 
the distance. Anna opened her eyes and smiled, while 
tears of joy ran down her face and she cried, “My Jesus, 
Mercy! Praised be Jesus Christ!” 

Begone Satan! describes the end: “During the first 
thrills of joy they were not even aware of the terrible odor 
that filled the room. All the windows had to be opened, 
the stench was something unearthly, simply unbearable. 
It was the last souvenir of the infernal devils for those 
they had to abandon upon the Earth.” 


FURTHER READING: 

Vogel, Rev. Carl. Begone, Satan! A Soul-Stirring Account of 
Diabolical Possession in Iowa. Rockford, Ill.: TAN Books 
and Publishers, 1973. 


Eligor (Abigor) FALLEN ANGEL and the 15th of the 72 
SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. Eligor is a duke who appears as a 
goodly knight carrying a lance, a SERPENT, and an ensign. 
He discovers hidden objects, kindles love and lust, and 
procures the favor of lords and knights. He marshals 
armies and causes war. He has 60 LEGIONs of DEMONS 
under his command. 


Emoniel DEMON anda wandering duke of the air. Emo- 
niel has 100 princes and chief dukes, 20 lesser dukes, 
and a multitude of servants beneath him. The spirits live 
mostly in the woods and must be summoned according 
to their planetary hours. When they appear, they are 
willing to obey commands. The 12 major dukes are 
Ennoniel, Edriel, Camodiel, Phanuel, Dramiel, Pandiel, 
Vasenel, Nasiniet, Cruhiet, Armesiel, Oaspeniel, and 
Musiniel. 


empousai In Greek lore, a type of female DEMON, 
related to LAMIAE and similar to the SUCCUBUS. Empousae 
means “forcers in.” Empusa is sometimes translated into 
English as “vampire.” 

The empousai are children of Hecate, the goddess of the 
underworld (see CHTHONIC DEITIES), ghosts, and magic. 
They appear at her bidding at midday when people make 


Ephippas 73 


sacrifices to their dead relatives. They are filthy and ugly. 
They have the hind ends of asses and wear brazen slip- 
pers. Sometimes they are described as having one brass 
leg and one ass leg. They disguise themselves as cows, 
bitches, or beautiful girls. In the latter form, they seduce 
men. They enter the human body to consume its flesh and 
drink its BLOOD. 

In The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, Philostratus relates 
a story—probably highly fictitious—about an empousa 
bride. Apollonius, a philosopher and wonder worker of 
the first century, was credited with great feats of magic 
and the ability to summon spirits and see the future. Phi- 
lostratus’ biography draws upon the probably fictional 
memoirs of one of Apollonius’ disciples, Damis. 

The story concerns a young man of Lycia, Menippus, 
age 25, smart and handsome. One day as he was walking 
along the road to Cenchreae, he was met by an appari- 
tion—an empousa—in the guise of a Phoenician woman. 
He fell under her spell and fell in love with her, not real- 
izing what she really was. They made plans to marry. 

Apollonius was skeptical of her. He attended the wed- 
ding and was introduced to her by Menippus. The woman 
acknowledged she was the owner of all the gold and silver 
trappings in the house and was the mistress of all the 
servants. Apollonius told Menippus that his bride was an 
empousa who would devour his flesh and drink his blood. 
Menippus’ bride was offended at this and ordered Apol- 
lonius to leave, but he had broken her spell, and all the 
gold, silver, and servants disappeared. 

The woman wept and begged Apollonius not to force 
her to confess her true identity, but he did. She admitted 
that she was fattening up Menippus for a kill, and that she 
loved to dine on young and beautiful bodies because their 
blood was pure and strong. Thus, was Menippus saved 
from a gruesome fate. 

A similar tale, not quite as demonic in nature, is told 
by Phlegon of Tralles in Mirabilia 1, ca. 140. Philinnion 
is a young bride who dies and returns as a sexually hun- 
gry ghost to visit a man, Machates. Philinnion leaves be- 
hind jewelry and underwear. Machates gives her a ring 
and a golden cup. When the family discovers what is go- 
ing on, they visit the girl’s tomb, to find her bier empty, 
save for Machates’ gifts. The girl herself is lying in the 
house where Machates is a guest. A learned prophet says 
her corpse should be burned outside the city limits, and 
many sacrifices should be made to the chthonic deities. 
These acts are carried out, and Machates, in despair, com- 
mits suicide. 


FURTHER READING: 

McNally, Raymond T. A Clutch of Vampires. New York: Bell, 
1984. 

Ogden, Daniel. Magic, Witchcraft, and Ghosts in the Greek and 
Roman Worlds: A Sourcebook. New York: Oxford Univer- 
sity Press, 2002. 

Philostratus. The Life of Apollonius of Tyana. Translated by E 
C. Conybeare. London: Heinemann, 1912. 


Enepsigos DEMON in the shape of a woman with two 
heads. Enepsigos has countless other names and can 
shape-shift into a goddess and other forms. Most often, 
she takes three forms because she hovers near the Moon 
(which has three forms: waxing, full, and new). Enepsi- 
gos is conjured up as Kronos, Greek god of time. 

In the Testament of Solomon, Enepsigos is bound by 
King SOLOMON with a triple-link chain and is made to 
prophesy. She predicts that Solomon’s kingdom will be 
divided and the Temple of Jerusalem will be destroyed 
by the kings of the Persians, Medes, and Chaldeans. The 
tools in the temple will be used to serve other gods. The 
vessels used to trap all the demons will be broken by 
men, and the freed demons will go throughout the world, 
leading men astray until the Son of God is crucified. This 
Son shall be born of a virgin and shall be the only one 
to hold power over all demons. His name is Emmanuel 
(Emmanouel), the letters of whose name add up to the 
numbers 644. Solomon does not believe Enepsigos and 
has her bound in unbreakable chains. But later he wit- 
nesses the truth of part of her prophecy, when he is led 
astray by women to worship pagan gods, and his kingdom 
is divided by God. 

See INCANTATION BOWL. 


FURTHER READING: 

The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vols. 1 & 2. Edited by 
James H. Charlesworth. 1983. Reprint, New York: Dou- 
bleday, 1985. 

Ephippas Arabian wind DEMON captured by King 

SOLOMON. 

In the Testament of Solomon, Adarkes, the king of 
Arabia, asks Solomon for his help against a vicious wind 
demon. The demon appears every morning when a fresh 
wind starts and blows until the third hour. It kills man 
and beast and cannot be contained. Adarkes asks Solo- 
mon to send someone who can control the demon. 

Solomon, however, forgets about the request until he 
has a problem with the construction of the Temple of Je- 
rusalem. The stone that he wishes for a cornerstone is 
so heavy that all the artisans and demon laborers cannot 
move it. Solomon sends a servant out into the Arabian 
desert to capture the wind demon in a leather flask. The 
servant places Solomon’s magic ring at the neck of the 
flask, which is a wineskin. When the demon blows into 
it and fills it up, the servant seals it closed with the ring. 
The local Arabs do not believe that the boy has actually 
contained the demon, but when the wind does not blow 
for three days, they become convinced. 

The boy presents the flask to Solomon inside the tem- 
ple. Solomon is astonished when the flask has the ability 
to move about on its own and takes seven steps, and then 
falls on its neck. Speaking from inside, the demon gives 
his name as Ephippas and says he is thwarted by “the one 
who is going to be born from a virgin and crucified by the 
Jews” (JESUS). 


74 Erinyes 


Ephippas tells Solomon that he has the ability to move 
mountains, carry houses from place to place, and over- 
throw kings. Solomon bids him to move the cornerstone. 
The demon says not only will he do that, but he will also 
raise up the pillar of air from the Red Sea and place it 
wherever the king wants. Ephippas inserts the corner- 
stone at the entrance of the temple. Solomon takes this 
as a profound sign according to Scripture: Psalm 118:22 
says, “The stone which the builders rejected has become 
the head of the corner.” 

Ephippas goes out with the demon of the Red Sea, 
ABEZETHIBOU, to raise up the pillar. They have been out- 
witted by Solomon, who binds them to the pillar so that 
they remain suspended in air holding it up until the end 
of time. The pillar of air may be the same as the “pillar 
of cloud” referred to in the Old Testament and may mean 
the Milky Way. 


FURTHER READING: 

The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vols. 1 & 2. Edited by 
James H. Charlesworth. 1983. Reprint, New York: Dou- 
bleday, 1985. 


Erinyes (Furies) In Greek mythology, three female god- 
desses, later demonized in Christianity, who punish 
wrongdoers to death, sometimes causing them to com- 
mit suicide. Erinyes means “roused to anger.” 

The Erinyes are Alecto, Megara, and Tisiphone, and 
they were born from the BLOOD of the castrated god Ura- 
nus. They are ugly, winged women with hair, arms, and 
waists entwined with poisonous SERPENTS. They carry 
whips and are clothed in the long black robes of mourn- 
ers or the short skirts and boots of huntress-maidens. 

The Erinyes particularly punish those who kill their 
mothers. They serve in the court of Hades and scourge 
the shades of sinners. When they play their lyres, mortals 
wither. They cause insanity and mind-ruining derange- 
ment, especially for murderers. They also cause disease, 
illness, and hunger. 

The Erinyes can be placated by rituals of atonement 
and purification. 

See HELL. 


Eurynomus In Greek lore, a high-ranking DEMON of 
Hades. The Greek geographer Pausanias (second c. 
C.E.) said in Description of Greece that the oracles at 
Delphi described Eurynomus as a flesh-eating demon 
who strips corpses down to the bone. His color is 
black-blue like that of flies, and he has sharp teeth and 
sits on the skin of a vulture. Later European demonolo- 
gists described Eurynomus as a “prince of death” who 
has a body covered with sores, long teeth, and fox-skin 
clothing. 


FURTHER READING: 
Collin de Plancy, Jacques. Dictionary of Witchcraft. Edited 
and translated by Wade Baskin. Originally published 


The Erinyes in Hades (AUTHOR'S COLLECTION) 


as Dictionary of Demonology. New York: Philosophical 
Library, 1965. 

Luck, Georg. Arcana Mundi: Magic and the Occult in the Greek 
and Roman Worlds. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University 
Press, 1985. 


evil eye A demonic power of causing illness, misfor- 
tune, calamity, and death through the eyes. 

Evil eye beliefs are universal and date to ancient times. 
The oldest recorded reference to the evil eye appears in 
the cuneiform texts of the Sumerians, Babylonians, and 
Assyrians, about 3000 B.C.E. The ancient Egyptians be- 
lieved in it and used eye shadow and lipstick to prevent 
the evil eye from entering their eyes or mouths. The Bible 
makes references to it in both the Old and New Testa- 
ments. It is among ancient Hindu folk beliefs. Evil eye 
superstitions remained strong into modern times, espe- 
cially in Mediterranean countries such as Italy, and in 
Mexico and Central America. 

There are two kinds of evil eye, involuntary and delib- 
erate. Most cases of evil eye are believed to occur invol- 
untarily; the person casting it does not mean to do it and 
probably is not even aware of it. No revenge is sought for 
this hazard. 

A deliberate, malevolent evil eye is called “overlook- 
ing” and is a form of witchcraft that can bring about mis- 
fortune or catastrophe: illness, poverty, injury, loss of 


exorcism 75 


love, even death. In the Middle Ages, witches, who were 
in league with the DEVIL, were said to give anyone who 
crossed them the evil eye and to use it to bewitch judges 
from convicting them. 

The evil eye also occurs when someone, especially a 
stranger, admires another’s children, livestock, or posses- 
sions or casts anyone a lingering look. Unless immedi- 
ate precautions are taken, the children become sick, the 
animals die, the possessions are stolen, or good fortune 
in business turns sour. If the evil eye cannot be warded 
off, the victim must turn to an initiate—usually an older 
woman in the family—who knows a secret cure. 

Besides envious glances, the evil eye results from 
strangers in town or anyone who has unusual or differ- 
ent-colored eyes, for example, a blue-eyed stranger in a 
land of brown-eyed people. Some unfortunate souls are 
born with a permanent evil eye, laying waste to every- 
thing they see. 

The primary defense against evil eye is an AMULET. 
Most common are frogs, horns, and the “fig,” a clenched 
fist with thumb thrust between the index and middle fin- 
gers. Horns and the fig represent a phallus and are associ- 
ated with the Roman phallic god Fascinus (Priapus). His 
name is derived from the word fascinum, which means 
“witchcraft.” The evil eye is sometimes called fascination. 
Other amulets include various herbs and stones, red rib- 
bons, and spitting. 


FURTHER READING: 

Elworthy, Frederick Thomas. The Evil Eye. Secaucus, N.J.: 
University Books/Citadel Press, 1895 ed. 

Frieskens, Barbara. Living with Djinns: Understanding and 
Dealing with the Invisible in Cairo. London: Saqi Books, 
2008. 


exorcism The expulsion of DEMONs and_ other 
unwanted spirits from a person or place. Rites of exor- 
cism have been performed since ancient times as reme- 
dies against the negative or malevolent influences of 
spirits, such as the perceived cause of illnesses, bad luck, 
personal difficulties, OBSESSION, and POSSESSION. 

The word exorcism is from the Greek exousia, meaning 
“oath,” and translates as adjuro, or “adjure,” in Latin and 
English. To exorcise does not really mean to “cast out” so 
much as it means to “put the Devil on oath,” or petition a 
higher authority to compel the Devil to act in a way con- 
trary to his wishes. 

In Catholicism, exorcism is performed when the church 
asks publicly and with authority in the name of JESUS 
Christ that a person or object be protected from the power 
of the Evil One and withdrawn from his dominion. 

In some cultures, demons are exorcised by loud noises, 
such as beating gongs and bells, and by beating the victim 
physically, in order to force the demons out of the body. 
In other methods, rituals for exorcism provide for less 
extreme measures through the use of holy objects, prayer, 
and commands. 


Exorcism is considered dangerous for victim and ex- 
orcist, and even for onlookers, for expelled demons will 
immediately look for a new host, unless they are properly 
bound and dispatched. 


Demonic Exorcism 

In Jewish tradition, demons were exorcised often by cast- 
ing them into an object or an animal. An exorcism for- 
mula in the Talmud for healing demon-caused blindness 
calls for the blindness (demon) to leave the victim and 
pierce the eyeballs of a designated dog. 

The Jewish historian Josephus, born soon after the 
Crucifixion of Jesus, wrote of a celebrated exorcist named 
Eliezar, whom he witnessed in action. Eliezar had a ring 
attached with certain roots prescribed by the legendary 
King SOLOMON. The root, called Baaras, was probably bo- 
ara, a highly toxic root that burns with a flamelike color 
and emits lightninglike rays. Eliezar held the ring under 
the nose of a DEMONIAC and caused the demons to leave 
through the breath blown through the nostrils. Eliezar 
then passed the demons into a bowl of water, which was at 
once thrown over, dispersing the demons. The technique 
was in accordance with prevailing beliefs of the time that 
many illnesses were caused by inhaling demons. 

In the New Testament, Jesus and the disciples cast out 
numerous evil spirits, the most famous of which are LE- 
GION, demons sent by Jesus from a man into pigs (Luke 
8:30). According to descriptions in the Gospels and Acts, 
exorcisms were usually easy to perform. Jesus or an apos- 
tle ordered the evil spirit to depart, and the demon im- 
mediately complied. Luke 9:38—43 tells of a case in which 
the disciples had failed to exorcise a boy, and Jesus suc- 
ceeds in casting out the demon by rebuking him: 


A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to 
look at my son, for he is my only child. A spirit seizes 
him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into con- 
vulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever 
leaves him and is destroying him. I begged your disciples 
to drive it out, but they could not.” 

“O unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus 
replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with 
you? Bring your son here.” 

Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw 
him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked 
the evil spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his 
father. And they were all amazed at the greatness of God. 


Jesus recommended in one case that prayer and fast- 
ing are necessary to expel some demons. In Mark 9:18, 
Jesus told a man that all things are possible, including the 
exorcism of his son, to those who believe. Thus, faith can 
influence the success of exorcism. 

Sometimes an expelled demon can return with rein- 
forcements, as Jesus noted in Matthew 12:43-45: 


When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through 
arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 
‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds 


76 exorcism 


the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 
Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more 
wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the 
final condition of that man is worse than the first. That 
is how it will be with this wicked generation. 


After the Crucifixion of Jesus, the apostles exorcised 
in his name. None of them had a specific exorcism min- 
istry or sought out the afflicted; the sick traveled to them 
for help. Only Christians could successfully performs 
exorcisms. Acts 19:13-16 describes how seven Jewish 
exorcists failed to exorcise demons in the name of Jesus 
and Paul. They were attacked and beaten by the possessed 
man: 


Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried 
to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who 
were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name 
of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come 
out.” Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were 
doing this. [One day] the evil spirit answered them, 
“Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” 
Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them 
and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating 
that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. 


Paul was so successful as an exorcist that even items 
of clothing he touched could be given to the afflicted, and 
their possessing spirits would depart (Acts 19:11-12). 
Acts 16:16-19 tells how Paul exorcised a slave girl of a 
divining spirit. The spirit enabled her to tell the future 
and was not “demonic” in the modern sense: 


Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we 
were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she 
predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money 
for her owners by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul 
and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants 
of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to 
be saved.” She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul 
became so troubled that he turned around and said to 
the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you 
to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her. 


The owners of the slave girl were not pleased to have 
their source of income terminated, and they had Paul and 
his companion Silas arrested, flogged, and imprisoned. 

In the early church, all believers were held to be ca- 
pable of exorcism. The apostles performed exorcisms for 
those who sought them out. After they were gone, oth- 
ers carried on the work. There was no special class of 
exorcists or deliverance ministers, or formal training or 
ordination; however, it was held that one had to be a true 
believer in the faith in order to succeed. Origen, a church 
father anathematized and martyred in 253, said that the 
plainest of persons, even the illiterate, could perform de- 
liverance or exorcism. 

By the third century, the dangers of exorcism were 
recognized, and the church began approving certain in- 
dividuals for the task of expelling spirits and healing by 


laying on of hands. In the mid-third century, Pope Corne- 
lius used the term exorcist as an order among the Roman 
clergy. The ministry of deliverance became increasingly 
restricted and by the Middle Ages was performed more as 
formal rites of exorcism. Instead of spontaneous prayers 
in individual circumstances, priests relied increasingly 
on standardized prayers and procedures. The focus 
shifted primarily to demonic possession. The role of ex- 
orcist fell to priests. Solemn exorcism became a formal 
liturgical rite performed only by a priest on a possessed 
person and only with permission from a bishop. Private 
exorcisms are performed by ministers and laypersons 
for various demonic problems and are permitted in the 
Catholic tradition. 

Protestants deemphasized or eliminated exorcism; 
some, such as Calvinists, held that it pertained only to 
the early years of Christianity. Exorcism is carried on by 
some under the name of DELIVERANCE. 

In the wake of the abuses of the Inquisition, the Vati- 
can banned five manuals of exorcism in 1709 and in 1725 
instituted more controls. In the late 19th century, Pope 
Leo XIII (r. 1878-1903) reportedly had a vision of de- 
monic spirits trying to attack Rome. He wrote a prayer 
that is now included in the RITUALE ROMANUM and said at 
many masses, the prayer to the archangel Michael: 


St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our 
protector against the wickedness and the snares of the 
devil; may God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do 
thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of 
God, thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who 
wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen. 


Church officials became skeptical that possession was 
genuine and in modern times preferred psychological ex- 
planations to demonic ones. However, in 1972, Pope Paul 
VI affirmed the existence of SATAN and his attempts to 
pervert humanity. 

Pope John Paul II (r. 1978-2005) stated in 1987 that 
“the devil is still alive and active in the world” and cham- 
pioned exorcism. He reportedly performed three exor- 
cisms himself. The first one was in 1978 and few details 
are known. The second was performed in 1982 on a 
young woman named Francesca F., who convulsed on the 
floor when taken before the pope. He said, “Tomorrow 
I will say Mass for you,” and she was freed of demons. 
The third exorcism was done in 2000 on a 19-year-old 
hunchbacked Italian woman. She attended one of the 
pope’s public audiences in St. Peter’s Square and shouted 
obscenities. He took her into a private audience, prayed 
for her and blessed her, and promised to say a mass for 
her. However, the woman was not rid of demons. 

Pope Benedict XVI, who assumed the papacy in April 
2005, is more conservative but has praised exorcists and 
has encouraged them to pursue their ministry. 

In the modern Catholic tradition, major rites of ex- 
orcism are performed in which a demon is ordered in 


exorcism 77 


the name of Christ to leave the body of a person who is 
possessed. Lesser rites of exorcism expel demons from a 
place (see INFESTATION) and relieve a person who is suffer- 
ing from OPPRESSION. However powerful the demon may 
be, he ultimately must yield to the power of the Lord. The 
EXORCIST also calls upon all the saints, the Virgin Mary, 
and the angels, especially the archangel Michael, an an- 
cient foe of the DEVIL. 

Exorcisms are performed once it is determined that a 
victim is genuinely under the influence of demons. The 
discernment of an exorcist priest is important. In addi- 
tion, the church may ask physicians and other medical 
professionals to rule out natural causes; a psychiatric ex- 
amination may be desirable but is not necessary. Lesser 
rites of exorcism, including deliverance, can be carried 
out by a priest or even a lay demonologist who has been 
trained by a priest, but the solemn rite of exorcism for 
possession can be carried out only by a priest, and upon 
approval by a bishop. The solemn rite is part of the RIT- 
UALE ROMANUM, which dates to 1614. Minor revisions were 
made in 1952. As of the Second Vatican Council (1962- 
65), it underwent a series of revisions. Since 1999, the ex- 
orcism portion was reissued in a new 90-page document, 
De Exorcismus et Supplicationibus Quibusdam (Concerning 
exorcisms and certain supplications). The rite includes 
prayers and passages from the Bible and calls upon the 
demons, in powerful Latin, to depart in the name of Jesus 
Christ. 

The new version eliminates some of the rough medi- 
eval language used to describe the Devil. Instead of hav- 
ing the exorcist command the demons or Devil to leave 
the victim, the exorcist now calls on God to command the 
demons to leave. 

Some contemporary exorcists prefer to use exorcism 
as a diagnosis of possession and to use more traditional 
versions of the rites (see AMORTH, FATHER GABRIELE). 

Outside Catholicism, priests and ministers perform 
most demonic exorcisms, but clairvoyants and spiritu- 
alists also expel evil spirits. In non-Western traditions, 
shamans, adepts, and other members of priestly classes 
perform exorcisms. In occult traditions, exorcisms are 
performed according to magical rites. 

Beating and whipping the possessed in order to ex- 
pel demons are a common practice and were undertaken 
in European exorcisms in centuries past. The practice is 
still in use privately. In 2007, police in Phoenix, Arizona, 
responded to a report of violence during an exorcism 
and found a 49-year-old grandfather choking his alleg- 
edly possessed three-year-old granddaughter. Police used 
a stun gun to subdue the man, who lapsed into uncon- 
sciousness and died later in a hospital. 


The Setting of an Exorcism 

According to the Rituale Romanum, an exorcism should 
be carried out in an oratory, chapel, or small room for 
devotional prayers in a church. There should be few wit- 
nesses. Images of the crucifix and the Virgin Mary should 


dominate the setting. The exorcist should be vested in 
cassock, surplice, and violet stole. The rite begins with 
the aspersion of holy water, and the showing of the cru- 
cifix to the victim. 

In fact, throughout history, exorcisms have been per- 
formed in a variety of settings, and some of the more fa- 
mous cases, such as the LOUDUN POSSESSIONS, were wit- 
nessed by thousands of people. In contemporary times, 
exorcists might perform the rites in the home of the 
victim. 

A special connection exists between the demon and 
its possessing location, most often the victim’s bedroom 
or personal place. Anything that can be moved is taken 
out, such as rugs, lamps, dressers, curtains, tables, and 
trunks, to minimize flying objects. Only a bed or couch 
remains, accompanied by a small side table to hold a 
crucifix, candle, holy water, and prayer book. Doors and 
windows are closed but cannot be nailed shut because 
air must be allowed to enter the room. Doorways must 
be kept covered, even if the door is open, lest the evil 
forces inside the room affect the area outside. Modern ex- 
orcists also employ a small tape recorder to validate the 
procedure. The church forbids the filming of exorcisms 
to protect privacy. 

The exorcist is assisted by one or two other priests, 
who monitor the exorcist, trying to keep him to the busi- 
ness at hand and not be misguided by the perversions of 
the demons. They also provide physical aid if necessary. 
If the exorcist collapses or even dies during the ritual, an 
assistant takes over. 

Other assistants include a medical doctor and per- 
haps family members. Each must be physically strong 
and be relatively guiltless at the time of the exorcism, 
so that the Devil cannot use his or her secret sins as a 
weapon against the exorcism. The assistants should not 
be weakened or overcome by obscene behavior and lan- 
guage, blood, excrement, and urine. They must be able to 
disregard personal insults and be prepared to have their 
darkest personal secrets revealed. 

In non-Catholic exorcisms, rites may be performed in 
a victim’s home, a church, or a sacred setting. In some 
Pentecostal and charismatic exorcisms, entire congrega- 
tions participate in the expulsion of demons. 


Characteristics of an Exorcism 

Prayer and commands are central features of exorcism. 
Catholic rites are among the most formal. Other rites in- 
clude a laying on of hands and the use of strong fumes 
to drive out demons. Hindu priests may blow cow-dung 
smoke, burn pig excreta, pull their or the victim's hair, 
press rock salt between their fingers, use copper coins, 
recite mantras or prayers, cut the victim’s hair and burn 
it, or place a blue band around the victim’s neck to exor- 
cise the demonic spirits. Trying another tack, the exor- 
cist may offer bribes of candy or other gifts if the spirit 
leaves the victim. Early Puritans relied solely on prayer 
and fasting. 


78 exorcism 


In earlier times and even today, exorcisms may include 
the physical beating of a sufferer to force the demon to de- 
part or throwing stones at the possessed person. In 1966, 
members of a fanatic cult in Zurich, Switzerland, ritually 
beat a young girl to death for being “the devil's bride.” 

Catholic exorcisms involve only the use of prayer and 
sacraments. The exorcist demands to know the name of 
the demon and the time of its departure. Demons seldom 
work alone, and thus several or even many may pos- 
sess a person. Initially, they resist. Resistance can last 
for months or even years, requiring repeated exorcisms. 
Rarely is an individual freed of demonic influence in a 
single exorcism. One of Amorth’s cases lasted for more 
than 16 years. 

Knowing the names of the demons is helpful but is not 
essential to the success of an exorcism. Demons are liars, 
and they are expected to give false names. Sometimes, 
the names of important and powerful demons are given, 
even SATAN and LUCIFER. Some names sound nonsensical, 
and sometimes demons give the names of human beings 
known for their evil, such as Hitler. 

Violence often dominates a demonic exorcism. Furni- 
ture bangs, breaks, and levitates; waves of heat and cold 
pour over the room; and horrible cries emanate from the 
victim, who may also levitate. Often, the victim suffers 
real physical pain and distress and must be held down by 
assistants, who are other exorcists and laypersons. De- 
mons spit, vomit, and engage in other, more disgusting 
bodily functions as well. They recoil when sprinkled with 
holy water or touched by a crucifix. Spiritually, the de- 
mon and the exorcist engage in battle. While the demon 
hurls invectives, the exorcist counters with the strongest 
demands for the demon’s departure, vowing pain and 
penalty if it does not comply. Demons are never insulted, 
however, for they are FALLEN ANGELS and possess great 
intelligence and wisdom. 

According to MALACHI MARTIN, no two exorcisms are 
exactly alike, but they tend to unfold in similar stages: 


e The Presence. The exorcist and assistants become 
aware of an alien feeling or entity. 

e Pretense. Attempts by the evil spirit to appear and 
act as the victim, to be seen as one and the same 
person. The exorcist’s first job is to break this pre- 
tense and find out who the demon really is. Naming 
the demon is the most important first step. 

e Breakpoint. The moment when the demon’s pretense 
finally collapses in a scene of extreme panic and 
confusion, accompanied by a crescendo of abuse, 
horrible sights, noises, and smells. The demon 
begins to speak of the possessed victim in the third 
person instead of as itself. 

e The Voice. Also a sign of the breakpoint, the voice 
is babel, and it must be silenced for the exorcism to 
proceed. 

e The Clash. As the voice dies out, there is tremen- 
dous pressure, both spiritual and physical, as the 


demon collides with the “will of the Kingdom.” The 
exorcist, locked in battle with the demon, urges the 
entity to reveal more information about itself as the 
exorcist’s holy will begins to dominate. There is a 
direct link between the entity and place, as each 
spirit wants a place to be. For such spirits, habita- 
tion of a living victim is preferable to HELL. 

e Expulsion. In a supreme triumph of God's will, the 
spirit leaves in the name of JESUS and the victim is 
reclaimed. All present feel the Presence dissipating, 
sometimes with receding noises or voices. The vic- 
tim may remember the ordeal or may not have any 
idea what has happened. 


Demons are expelled when they decide to leave volun- 
tarily or are forced out by the power of the rite. They suf- 
fer torment from the prayers and sacraments. Sometimes 
demons who are high-ranking refuse to leave unless they 
are cast out by an ANGEL. If God sends an angel, an invis- 
ible battle takes place between angel and demon, which 
causes a great deal of discomfort to the victim until it 
is over. Successful exorcism depends also on the reform 
of the victim, in terms of attendance at church and right 
living. Once expelled, demons cannot return unless the 
victim expressly invites them back, even unconsciously. 


Exorcism of Djinn 

Islam considers exorcism of DJINN to be a noble endeavor, 
practiced throughout the ages by prophets and the righ- 
teous. According to the Quran, the faithful are obliged 
to help the oppressed, including those troubled by djinn. 
The djinn especially like to interrupt Salaah, or formal 
prayer; occupy homes and steal the essence of food; and 
cause mental disturbances and physical illness. 

There are no formal Islamic rites comparable to those 
of Catholicism, but exorcisms must follow strict guide- 
lines. The djinn must be rebuked, warned, shamed, and 
cursed in the same ways permitted against human beings. 
Measures appropriate against the unfaithful can be ap- 
plied to djinn. It is permissible for exorcists to listen to 
what the possessing djinn have to say, but it is forbid- 
den to believe them, for they are deceivers. Djinn will not 
harm exorcists who act in proper fashion according to the 
Quran, but there are some dangers to exorcists who con- 
front especially powerful djinn (afrit or ifreet), for they 
may suffer harm. 

Specific prayers and verses from the Qur'an are used; 
the use of AMULETs and TALISMANs is forbidden. One of 
the greatest weapons is the Ayatal-kursi, sura 2:255: 


Allah! There is no god but He—the Living, The Self- 
subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him Nor Sleep. 
His are all things In the heavens and on earth. Who is 
there can intercede In His presence except As he per- 
mitteth? He knoweth What (appeareth to His creatures 
As) Before or After or Behind them. Nor shall they com- 
pass Aught of his knowledge Except as He willeth. His 
throne doth extend Over the heavens And on earth, and 


exorcism 79 


He feeleth No fatigue in guarding And preserving them, 
For He is the Most High. The Supreme (in glory). 


Those who recite the Ayatal-kursi every night before 
going to bed will receive a guardian from Allah who will 
keep djinn away. 

Another qur’anic exorcism weapon are the closing 
verses from sura 2:285-86. Even the djinn complain 
about their effectiveness: 


The Messenger believes in what has been revealed 
to him from his Lord as do the believers. All believe 
in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His messengers 
(saying), “We make no distinction between one and 
another of His messengers.” And they say, “We hear 
and obey, and seek Your forgiveness, Our Lord, to You 
is the end of all journeys.” Allah does not burden a soul 
beyond its capacity. It gets every good which it earns 
and suffers for every ill it earns. (Pray): Our Lord, do 
not condemn us if we forget or fall into error. Do not 
give us burdens like what you gave to those before us. 
Our Lord, do not burden us beyond our capacity. Blot 
out our sins, grant us forgiveness, and have mercy on 
us. You are our Guardian, so help us against the disbe- 
lieving people. 


Sometimes djinn must be beaten out of people. The 
blows are not felt by the possessed person but are felt by 
the djinn, who howl and scream in agony. 

Another technique employed by exorcists is to blow 
three times into their hands before reciting verses, thus 
invoking a blessing of the moisture or air touched by di- 
vine words remembering Allah. 

Words and phrases from proper qur’anic verses can 
be written in ink made from allowable substances on ves- 
sels used for washing and drinking by the possessed; the 
water also may be sprinkled on the body. Similarly, the 
essence of the verses can be ingested by eating food pre- 
pared with inscriptions written on it (such as bread) or 
alphabet soup. 

The prophet Muhammad acted aggressively against 
djinn. Once while he was engaged in Salaah, IBLIS went to 
him and troubled him. Muhammad grabbed him, wrestled 
him to the ground, and choked him. Muhammad said, “I 
choked him until I felt the coldness of his tongue on my 
hand. And if it were not for Sulaymaan’s prayer, he would 
have been tied up so they could could see him.” The men- 
tion of Sulaymaan (King SOLOMON) refers to Solomon's 
prayer to Allah for unique power over the djinn, pos- 
sessed by no one else. If not for that, Muhammad would 
have had authority to bind Iblis himself. 

Muhammad also exorcized djinn by cursing them 
three times: “I seek refuge in Allah from you! I curse you 
by Allah’s perfect curse!” The same CURSE is used against 
infidels. 

Muhammad exorcized djinn from others by beating 
the possessed and by ordering the djinn out. A man took 
his grandson, who became insane through a possessing 
djinn, to see Muhammad. The Prophet beat the boy’s back 


while saying, “Get out enemy of Allah! Enemy of Allah 
get out!” The djinn left and the boy was healed. 

In another case, a boy suffering with fits was taken 
to Muhammad. The Prophet blew into his mouth three 
times and said, “In the name of Allah, I am the slave of 
Allah, get out enemy of Allah.” The boy was healed. 


Spirit Exorcism 

In some views, possession is not an evil situation but a 
spiritual one. Exorcism is not a religious expulsion but 
a firm good-bye, sending the spirit out of its living host 
and on to its proper realm. Such techniques of persuasion 
involve the use of psychic force. 

Spiritual exorcists may perform several persuasive 
departures in one day, depending on the individual exor- 
cist’s intuitive ability and strength. Working with spirits, 
the exorcist has come to recognize the sensations associ- 
ated with such restless entities, usually described as vi- 
brations or a feeling of cold. Some entities emit odors, like 
stale flowers or worse. 

DR. CARL A. WICKLAND and the Anglican clergyman 
CANON JOHN D. PEARCE-HIGGINS are two of the most fa- 
mous practitioners of persuasive exorcism. Wickland 
believed that possession occurred when a discarnate hu- 
man entity blundered, confusedly, into a living person’s 
aura and became trapped. Using the services of his wife, 
Anna, a medium, Wickland coaxed the spirit out of its 
victim and into his wife, through whom he communi- 
cated with it. 

Canon Pearce-Higgins agreed with Wickland that 
possession is not demonic but a manifestation of con- 
fused, earthbound spirits. He refused to call himself an 
exorcist. He employed religious services and simple con- 
versation to persuade the spirit to leave. He said that the 
possessing spirit needs as much help and consolation as 
the possessed victim. 


Exorcism in Magic 

Exorcism rites of spirits, demons, ghosts, poltergeists, el- 
ementals, and unwanted or negative spirits, energies, or 
thought forms are part of ritual magic. Literature of the 
Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, one of the leading 
occult societies in the West, provides information for per- 
forming exorcisms. The Golden Dawn flourished from the 
late 19th century into the early 20th century; its rituals 
are now public and provide the foundation for many mag- 
ical practices. An example of a Golden Dawn exorcism 
follows; it is drawn from material found in GRIMOIRES. 

In a record of a personal experience, the Golden Dawn 
initiate Frater Sub Spe reported that he concluded that 
he and his wife were possessed by a vampirizing elemen- 
tal—a low-level spirit—after his wife’s bout of influenza 
left both of them ina state of inexplicable exhaustion and 
vulnerability. Frater Sub Spe at first thought to consult a 
fellow adept, but during a state of intense concentration, 
he was instructed by a nonphysical guide to perform the 
exorcism himself with the guide’s instructions. 


80 Exorcism of Emily Rose, The 


A vision of a stately man in black magical robes ap- 
peared and responded to the secret Golden Dawn salutes 
given him by Frater Sub Spe. The magician merged with 
the body of Frater Sub Spe, taking possession of it and 
giving instructions via words and impressions. 

Frater Sub Spe was told to do the following: turn down 
the gas, burn incense, trace an invoking Pentagram of 
Fire toward the east, trace the sigil of Leo in the center 
of the pentagram, vibrate the Name of Power “Adni ha 
Aretz,” return the coal to the fire, and face East and make 
the Qabalistic Cross, a ritual gesture, and trace an invok- 
ing Pentagram of Earth. 

Frater Sub Spe did as instructed, and at the end of the 
ritual, he ordered the possessing spirit to appear before 
him: 


As I did so a vague blot, like a scrap of London fog, 
materialized before me. At the same time I sensed my 
guide, standing close to my right hand, raising his 
hand in the attitude of the 1=10 sign [a grade of the 
Golden Dawn]. I felt him (my guide) mentally order 
me to command the appearance of the obsessing entity, 
using the Names JHVH, ADNI, AGLA, AHIH. I did so 
and the mist thickened and formed a kind of nucleus. 
My guide then instructed me, “Use the Name of the 
Lord Jesus.” I did so, commanding in that name a 
fuller manifestation. I saw, at first dimly, as “in a glass 
darkly,” and then with complete clarity, a most foul 
shape, between a bloated big-bellied toad and a mali- 
cious ape. My guide spoke to me in an audible voice, 
saying “Now smite it with all your force, using the 
Name of the Lord Jesus.” I did so gathering all the 
force I possessed into, as it were, a glowing ball of 
electric fire and then projecting it like a lightning flash 
upon the foul image before me. 

There was a slight feeling of shock, a foul smell, 
a momentary dimness, and then the thing was gone; 
simultaneously my Guide disappeared. The effect of 
this experience upon me was to create a great tension 
of nerves and a disposition to start at almost anything. 
Afterwards, when going upstairs, | saw floating balls of 
fire; this may have been hallucination. 

Both my wife and myself rapidly recovered our full 
health. Afterwards, a message came to me that “the 
unclean spirit is gone out, but it remains to purge away 
his traces from the house of life.” 


The great English occultist and ritual magician Wil- 
liam S. Gray composed an exorcism ritual for banishing 
evil within the self, based on the Tree of Life in the KAB- 
BALAH. The ritual does not instantly eliminate evil but 
reduces the influence of evil in daily life, thus benefiting 
an individual’s overall spiritual path and enlightenment. 


FURTHER READING: 

Davies, T. Witton. Magic, Divination and Demonology among 
the Hebrews and Their Neighbors. First published 1898. 
Ebon, Martin. The Devils Bride, Exorcism: Past and Present. 

New York: Harper & Row, 1974. 


Eliade, Mircea. Shamanism. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton Uni- 
versity Press, 1964. 

Fortea, Fr. Jose Antonio. Interview with an Exorcist: An Insid- 
ers Look at the Devil, Diabolic Possession, and the Path to 
Deliverance. West Chester, Pa.: Ascension Press, 2006. 

Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. The Encyclopedia of Magic and 
Alchemy. New York: Facts On File, 2006. 

Ibn Taymeeyah’ Essay on the Jinn (Demons.) Abridged, anno- 
tated, and translated by Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips. 
New Delhi: Islamic Book Service, 2002. 

MacNutt, Francis. Deliverance from Evil Spirits: A Practical 
Manual. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Chosen Books, 1995. 

Martin, Malachi. Hostage to the Devil. New York: Harper & 
Row, 1987. 

Oesterreich, T. K. Possession: Demonical and Other among 
Primitive Races, in Antiquity, the Middle Ages and Modern 
Times. New Hyde Park, N.Y.: University Books, 1966. 

Wickland, Carl. Thirty Years among the Dead. North Holly- 
wood, Calif.: Newcastle, 1974. First published 1924. 

Wilkinson, Tracy. The Vatican’ Exorcists: Driving Out the Devil 
in the 21st Century. New York: Warner Books, 2007. 

Exorcism of Emily Rose, The See MICHEL, ANNELIESE. 
exorcist A person who expels DEMONS. Most exorcists 
are priests, clergy, or adepts; some laypersons call them- 
selves exorcists. Exorcists use specific prayers and ritu- 
als to cause demons to leave people and/or places, either 
of their own volition or by force. 

Beliefs about the ability of spirits to interfere in hu- 
man life and cause problems, including disease and mis- 
fortune, are widespread. JESUS was noted for his ability 
to exorcise demons. Specially trained persons who cast 
out demons are found universally since ancient times. Ac- 
cording to some beliefs, persons are born with the special 
ability to battle demons. REGINALD SCOT wrote in the 16th 
century that a person born with Mars in the ninth house 
has the power to expel demons from the possessed. 

In the Catholic Church, any priest can be an exorcist. 
While it is desirable that an exorcist lead the most virtu- 
ous life possible, even priests who live in mortal sin can 
function as exorcists, albeit probably not as effectively as 
their more virtuous counterparts. Since attitudes toward 
demonic interferences vary, not all dioceses have official 
exorcists; sometimes, they are concentrated in archdio- 
ceses. Priests who perform many exorcisms are likely at 
some point to be subjected to criticism and ridicule from 
their peers. 

MALACHI MARTIN described the ideal exorcist in Hos- 
tage to the Devil (1976): 


Usually he is engaged in the active ministry of parishes. 
Rarely is he a scholarly type engaged in teaching or 
research. Rarely is he a recently ordained priest. If there 
is any median age for exorcists, it is probably between 
the ages of fifty and sixty-five. Sound and robust physical 
health is not a characteristic of exorcists, nor is proven 
intellectual brilliance, postgraduate degrees, even in psy- 


Exorcist, The 81 


chology or philosophy, or a very sophisticated personal 
culture.... Though, of course, there are many excep- 
tions, the usual reasons for a priests being chosen are 
his qualities of moral judgment, personal behavior, and 
religious beliefs—qualities that are not sophisticated or 
laboriously acquired, but that somehow seem always to 
have been an easy and natural part of such a man. 


Priests do not become exorcists by choice. They are 
called to their duty by receiving the chrism of the Holy 
Spirit, which gives them discernment of demons and their 
presences. The discernment is of the utmost importance 
in determining whether or not a person is possessed and 
whether demonic influences such as infestation and op- 
pression are present. Some demons are skilled at hiding 
within a possessed person, and an inexperienced exorcist 
might be tricked into thinking a person is not possessed 
or the demons have been expelled. 

Priests who are new exorcists receive special personal 
training from more experienced exorcists. They work 
in teams to discern POSSESSION, perform the EXORCISM 
rites, and work with laypersons who assist in the rites. 
Formal training is offered at the Regina Apostolorum 
Pontifical Athenaenum, a Vatican-affiliated university in 
Rome. Students learn the differences between posses- 
sion and psychological and physical traumas and hear 
lectures by exorcists, medical professionals, priests, so- 
ciologists, law enforcement representatives, and other 
experts. 

Exorcists must develop profound spiritual and in- 
ner strength, for they are subjected to demonic attacks 
designed to interfere in their work or persuade them to 
leave the work. Some exorcists suffer physical and mental 
health problems resulting from demonic influences and 
in a few cases may even become possessed themselves. 
Martin underscored the dangers of exorcism: 


Every exorcist must engage in a one-to-one confronta- 
tion, personal and bitter, with pure evil. Once engaged, 
the exorcism cannot be called off. There will and must 
always be a victor and a vanquished. And no matter what 
the outcome, the contact is in part fatal for the exorcist. 
He must consent to a dreadful and irreparable pillage of 
his deepest self. Something dies in him. Some part of his 
humanness will wither from such close contact with the 
opposite of all humanness—the essence of evil; and it is 
rarely if ever revitalized. No return will be made to him 
for his loss. 


In other denominations, ministers sometimes perform 
exorcisms, and sometimes entire congregations partici- 
pate in expelling demons, as in Pentecostal churches. In 
other religions and spiritual traditions and shamanic so- 
cieties, exorcists are the members of the priestly castes, 
adepts, and specially trained persons. Members of magi- 
cal traditions also can be exorcists. 

See AMORTH, FATHER GABRIELE; FORTEA, FATHER JOSE 
ANTONIO; INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EXORCISTS. 


FURTHER READING: 

Fortea, Fr. José Antonio. Interview with an Exorcist: An Insid- 
ers Look at the Devil, Diabolic Possession, and the Path to 
Deliverance. West Chester, Pa.: Ascension Press, 2006. 

MacNutt, Francis. Deliverance from Evil Spirits: A Practical 
Manual. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Chosen Books, 1995. 

Martin, Malachi. Hostage to the Devil. New York: Harper & 
Row, 1976. 

Wilkinson, Tracy. The Vatican’ Exorcists: Driving Out the Devil 
in the 21st Century. New York: Warner Books, 2007. 


Exorcist, The (1971) Novel by William Peter Blatty 
based on the true story of the ST. LOUIS POSSESSION case. 
The novel veers away substantially from the real case, 
but it introduced the horrors of demonic POSSESSION and 
EXORCISM to a mass audience. 

The prologue describes a brief encounter in Iraq, where 
an archaeologist and cleric are finishing a dig of ancient As- 
syrian ruins. No names are given, but the reader receives a 
teaser of evil to come: The cleric, apparently familiar with 
the ways of the DEVIL, senses that the DEMON PAZUZU has 
been disturbed by the digging and plans revenge. 

Then begins the real story, which opens in a town- 
house in the Georgetown section of Washington, D.C., 
where the divorced actress Chris McNeil and her 11-year- 
old daughter, Regan, are staying while Chris finishes film- 
ing a movie. Strange noises and incidents, most of them 
in Regan’s room, annoy Chris, but she does not pay much 
attention to them. She asks the servant, Karl, to check the 
windows and catch the rats she believes are making the 
scratching noises, but he finds none. Her best friend and 
the film’s director, Burke Dennings, visits often; he is sar- 
castically funny, self-centered, an alcoholic, and given to 
obscenities. Other people in the house are Karl's wife the 
housekeeper, Willie, and Chris’ secretary, Sharon, who 
also tutors Regan. 

Portrayed as a bright, happy, affectionate young girl, 
Regan succumbs slowly to her possession. Alone at home, 
Regan plays more and more with a OUJA™ board, talking 
to a Captain Howdy. At first, the house suffers from an 
INFESTATION: attack by the demons through the victim’s 
surroundings. Chris hears rapping noises on the ceiling, 
Regan’s room is always cold, the girl’s clothing often ends 
up in a wadded pile on the floor, someone moves her fur- 
niture, and there is a foul, burning smell in her room. 
Other petty incidents occur: Books and objects disappear, 
and a stuffed mouse is found in the rat traps. 

Now Captain Howdy not only talks to Regan but also 
tells her awful, horrible things, threatening pain and ill- 
ness. Her bed shakes violently. Then Regan’s personal- 
ity changes; she becomes introverted and argumentative 
and eventually becomes hostile, disgusting, and obscene. 
She begins to exhibit superhuman strength, contorting 
her body in jerking, twisting movements. Strange voices 
emerge from her body, which is distended and unrecog- 
nizable. She slithers like a snake. Her conversations cen- 
ter around sexual and bodily functions. 


82 Exorcist, The 


a 
F 


E NL AE 


m 
= 


Linda Blair, as the demonically possessed Regan, suffers at the hands of demons in The Exorcist (1973). (AUTHOR’S COLLECTION) 


Frantic to find out what torments her daughter, Chris 
takes Regan from one doctor to another, abandoning her 
career. The doctors test Regan for everything but find no 
physical reason for her troubles. Under hypnosis, one 
psychiatrist tries to talk to what he sees as Regan’s other 
personality. The personality—or demon—identifies him- 
self as Nowonmai, from Dogmorfmocion. Although an 
agnostic, perhaps an atheist, Chris believes more firmly 
that her daughter has become possessed and needs a 
Catholic exorcism. 

Meanwhile, in a parallel plot, the psychiatrist priest 
Father Damien Karras also lives in Washington, D.C., 
at Georgetown University, counseling the seminarians. 
Someone has desecrated the nearby Catholic Church; 
there is excrement on the altar cloth, a huge clay phallus 
has been attached to the statue of Christ, the statue of the 
Virgin Mary has been painted to resemble a harlot, and a 
Latin text describing Mary Magdalene as a lesbian is left 
on the altar. Father Karras suspects SATANISM—sexual 
gratification through blasphemous acts—but his training 
as a doctor prevents him from fully believing the Devil 
is about. 


Besides, Father Karras has become mentally exhausted 
with his work, burdened not only with the troubles of his 
patients but with his own overwhelming guilt. He fears 
he does not love his fellow man as he should, scorning 
those who are poor or ignorant. He anguishes over his 
mother, who died poor and alone in a New York slum ten- 
ement. Through the movie company, Father Karras meets 
Chris and Regan. He is tantalized by the evil present in 
Regan and agrees to help rid her of her demons. 

Before Father Karras can obtain permission for an 
exorcism, Burke Dennings, left alone in the house with 
Regan, dies mysteriously by falling out the girl's second- 
story bedroom window and over a steep cliff below. His 
head is turned completely around, an injury that is prac- 
tically impossible, even in a severe fall. The demons in 
Regan eventually admit killing Dennings, explaining 
that turning his head around was common practice in the 
murder of witches. 

As Regan’s condition worsens, she exhibits all the clas- 
sic signs of true possession. Besides the terrible contor- 
tions, foul smells, horrible voices, obscene behavior, and 
poltergeist phenomena (shaking bed, moving furniture, 


Eye Killes 83 


banging windows, breaking pottery), Regan suffers from 
incessant hiccuping and skin irritations, eventually dis- 
playing stigmata on her chest. The words help me appear 
on her stomach in her handwriting. She recoils from reli- 
gious objects or uses them blasphemously, often employ- 
ing a crucifix for masturbation. She taunts Father Karras 
with paranormal knowledge, impersonating the voices of 
his mother and an early lover. She uses the clipped Brit- 
ish accents of Dennings as well. And most importantly for 
the church, Regan speaks languages previously unknown 
to her: French, German, Latin, and maybe Russian. The 
gibberish she mouths constantly is found to be English, 
backward. Nowonmai, the name of her demon, is “I am no 
one (won);” Dogmorfmocion is “I come from God.” 

When it seems Regan will die of her ordeal, the church 
gives its permission for an exorcism. Father Karras is to 
assist Father Lankester Merrin, an old hand at fighting 
the Devil and the one who senses the evil of Pazuzu in 
the book’s prologue. The devil in Regan had been call- 
ing “Marin” for quite some time, but until Father Merrin 
arrived, no one had made the connection. The exorcism 
proceeds according to the ancient RITUALE ROMANUM, 
with Regan spitting, vomiting, and urinating all over the 
priests as they order the demon to depart. The demon 
goads both men, flinging their pride, their secret sins, 
and their guilt in their faces. 

Father Merrin cannot survive this final encounter and 
dies during the exorcism, leaving Father Karras to fight 
alone. The demon believes he has won, for Father Karras’ 
soul is not strong enough to overcome his guilt. At the cli- 
max, Father Karras orders the demon to leave Regan and 
enter him: Complete possession as a fitting punishment 
for his sins. The window crashes open, and Father Kar- 
ras is found dead below. The reader must decide whether 
the demon accepted Father Karras’ offer, but, in any case, 
Regan regains herself. 

In the film version, released in 1973, the young actress 
Linda Blair gives a wrenching performance as Regan, with 


Ellen Burstyn as her mother, Chris, and Max von Sydow 
as Father Merrin. The demonic voices were provided by 
the actress Mercedes McCambridge, and the theme music, 
“Tubular Bells,” was nominated for an Oscar. Audiences 
were traumatized by the film, and some persons sought 
professional help in the fear that they might become pos- 
sessed themselves. 

Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) was a less successful se- 
quel with Richard Burton as a priest still trying to release 
Linda Blair from her demonic possession. 


Eye Killers In Southwest Native American lore, mon- 
strous DEMONs who killed by staring at people without 
blinking. Eye Killers are a variation of EVIL EYE lore. 

According to lore, demons were born into the world 
when women became pregnant by using dildos. Twin 
Eye Killers, a male and a female, were born after a chief’s 
daughter impregnated herself with a prong from a sour 
cactus. When born, the Eye Killers were round and ta- 
pered at one end, and without limbs. As they grew, they 
developed owl’s heads, SERPENT bodies, and huge, clawed 
paws. Killing lightning bolts flew from their eyes. It took 
all of the village shaman’s skill to exorcize the demons 
from the village. 

The Eye Killers were a nearly invulnerable force. The 
only way people could stave them off was to build a fire. 
However, victims usually would be struck dead before 
they could make fires. 

A hero named Monster Slayer decided he would kill 
the demons. He went to the cave where they lived and 
built a large fire in the entrance. Then he called out to 
the Eye Killers. When they appeared, he threw salt on the 
fire. The sparks forced the Eye Killers to shut their eyes 
for a few moments—long enough for the Monster Slayer 
to club them to death on their heads with his flint club. 


FURTHER READING: 
Hyatt, Victoria, and Joseph W. Charles. The Book of Demons. 
New York: Simon & Schuster, 1974. 


fairies Beings who occupy a middle realm between 
Earth and heaven. Fairies have magical powers and are 
sometimes associated with DEMONs and FALLEN ANGELS. 
In lore, they are capable of bewitchment and POSSESSION, 
requiring EXORCISM. 

Fairy originates from the Latin word fata, or “fate,” 
and evolved from faerie, a state of enchantment. Accord- 
ing to lore, fairies themselves do not like the word; they 
prefer to be called by more respectful names, such as “the 
Good Neighbors,” “the Gentry,” “the People of Peace,” 
“the Strangers,” “Themselves,” “The Seely (Blessed) 
Court,” and other terms. Fairies are often referred to as 
“the Little People.” In medieval times fairy sometimes de- 
scribed women who had magical powers. 


Fairy Origins 
Fairy beliefs are universal and ancient, and there are a 
variety of explanations of their origins. Celtic fairy lore 
is particularly strong and absorbed Christian elements. 
In Irish lore, the fairies are descended from the Tuatha 
de Danaan, the early inhabitants of Ireland. When the 
Mil invaded, the Tuatha de Danaan used supernatural 
powers to become invisible and withdraw into the hills. 
From them arose the gods, demigods, heroes, and the 
fairies. 

Other explanations for the origins of fairies are the 
following: 


e Souls of the unbaptized and pagan dead, trapped 
between heaven and Earth 


84 


e Guardians of the dead, living in an otherworld that 
exists between the living and the dead. They have 
the power to take people, and when they do, those 
people die 

e Ancestral ghosts 

e Fallen angels cast out of heaven with LUCIFER, sen- 
tenced by God to the elements of the earth, where 
they act as demons 

e Nature spirits who are attached to particular places 
or to the four elements, for example, sylphs of the 
air, gnomes of the earth, undines of water, and sala- 
manders of fire 

e Supernatural creatures who are shape-shifting mon- 
sters or half-human, half-monster 

e Small human beings, primitive races like the Tuatha 
de Danaan that went into hiding in order to survive 


In more recent times, fairies have been compared to 
extraterrestrials. 


Descriptions and Characteristics 
Fairies usually are invisible save to those with clairvoy- 
ant sight. They are best seen at dusk. In lore, they do not 
like to be seen by people and will often punish people 
who see them accidentally, including striking them blind. 
If they choose to be visible, fairies can bestow the gift of 
clairvoyance (and healing) upon mortals. 

Descriptions of fairies cover a wide range, from tiny 
lights to winged creatures and, most often, small people. 
They tend to be either ugly—even monstrous—or beau- 


fairies 85 


tiful. They are shape shifters who can assume whatever 
form they wish, especially to deceive or manipulate peo- 
ple. In Ireland, fairies assume the forms of black birds, 
especially crows; in French fairy lore, they are sometimes 
magpies. Black birds, as well as black animals, are associ- 
ated with demons and the DEVIL. 

Some fairies are solitary, like leprechauns, while oth- 
ers live in races and nations. Their homes are often in the 
earth and are accessed through mounds, caves, burrows, 
and holes in the ground and under piles of stones and 
rocks. It is bad luck to disturb these places, and the fairies 
will take revenge on people who do, causing misfortune, 
illness, and even death. 

The Land of Fairy, also called Elfland, has characteris- 
tics of the land of the dead. Time is altered, so that a day 
in human life might stretch into years in fairyland. There 
is no day or night but a perpetual twilight. In legend and 
lore, there is an intermingling of ghosts of the dead and 
the afterlife with fairies and the Land of Fairy. 

Descriptions of European fairies have been collected 
from oral lore. Robert Kirk, a Scottish Episcopalian min- 
ister who was clairvoyant, visited Fairyland and wrote an 
account, The Secret Commonwealth, in 1691—92, still one 
of the major first-person accounts in existence. A major 
compendium of fairy lore was written by W. Y. Evans- 
Wentz in the early 20th century, The Fairy Faith in Celtic 
Countries (1911). 

Fairies live much as humans do, working and main- 
taining families and amusing themselves with food, 
drink, music, and dancing. They travel in the physical 
world along paths, tracks, and raths, which, as with their 
homes, must never be disturbed or destroyed by humans. 
Some of them like to march in processions at night and 
especially at the “cross quarter” days of the seasons. If 
someone builds a house atop a fairy track, the fairies will 
pass right through it, and the occupants will sicken, their 
crops will fail, and their animals will die. The fairies act 
as poltergeists, opening closed windows and doors and 
creating disturbances similarly to haunting ghosts. 

Fairies are similar to demons in that many of them 
do not care for humans, and sometimes they will delib- 
erately fool and attack people. A strong trickster element 
runs through fairy lore. They are fond of leading travelers 
astray. They attend human wakes and funerals and eat the 
banquet food, spoiling it for people. 

Fairies kidnap people to their abodes, especially beau- 
tiful women they take for wives. In Fairyland, a person 
who eats their food remains trapped in a netherworld. 
To be “taken” by fairies means to go to the otherworld, 
also the land of the dead. If an abduction is temporary, a 
person sickens and then recovers; if it is permanent, the 
person dies and stays in the otherworld. Eating fairy food 
is taboo, for it will alter the body and prevent a person 
from returning to the world of the living. 

Not all fairies are hostile or are tricksters. Some are 
kind and helpful to people, though on conditions. For ex- 


ample, the household brownies will help with chores, as 
long as occupants are respectful; leave out milk, cream, 
and food for them; and are not messy. Once food is left 
for fairies, it must not be eaten by man or beast, for the 
fairies take the essence of the food, and it is no longer fit 
for others to consume. If food falls on the floor, the fairies 
claim it, and it must be given to them. 

Fairies have a major weakness: IRON, which repels 
them and dilutes their supernatural powers. AMULETs 
made of iron keep fairies away. 


Bewitchment and Witchcraft 

As do witches, fairies have the magical ability to bewitch 
people and animals and to blight crops and health. In 
Irish lore, the Tuatha de Danaan took revenge upon the 
Mil by blighting wheat crops and spoiling milk. When 
Christian elements entered fairy lore, it became custom- 
ary to dip a thumb in fresh milk and make the sign of the 
cross to ward off fairies. 

If a person insults or displeases fairies, they have the 
power to transform him into a beast, a stone, or some- 
thing else in nature. 

Bewitched and fairy-possessed people and animals, 
who act strangely, sicken, or fall into trances or even 
seizures, are called “fairy struck” and “elf shot.” The lat- 
ter term refers to invisible arrows shot into people and 
animals. 

Fairies teach witches their magical lore and casting 
of spells. 


Changelings 
Fairies are well known for stealing human babies and 
substituting their own ugly babies in their place. The tak- 
ing happens at night when a child is asleep or when it is 
napping unattended. 

Evans-Wentz gives the following quoted oral account 
from France, about a woman and her three children, as 
an example: 


When she had her first child, a very strong and very 
pretty boy, she noticed one morning that he had been 
changed during the night; there was no longer the fine 
baby that she had put to bed in the evening; there was, 
instead, an infant hideous to look at, greatly deformed, 
hunchbacked, and crooked, and of a black color. The 
poor woman knew that a fee [fairy] had changed her 
child. 

This changed infant still lives, and today he is about 
seventy years old. He has all the possible vices; and he 
has tried many times to kill his mother. He is a veritable 
demon; he predicts the future, and has a habit of run- 
ning abroad at night. They call him the “Little Corrigan” 
[a type of fairy], and everybody flees from him. Being 
poor and infirm now, he is obliged to beg, and people 
give him alms because they have a great fear of him. His 
nickname is Olier. 


The woman had two other children, who also were 
said to be normal at birth but were stolen by the fairies 


86 fallen angels 


and also became “demonic” hunchbacks. Then she was 
advised by a wise woman to put a sprig of boxwood 
blessed by a priest in the cradle, and the fairies would be 
repelled. She did so for her fourth child, and it was not 
affected. 

The idea of changelings might have explained prob- 
lems in infants that were not apparent at birth but devel- 
oped later and even “crib death” or sudden infant death 
syndrome (SIDS). The affected infants were not unrecog- 
nizable or completely different, but they were changed for 
the worse in noticeable ways. 


Possession and Exorcism 

Changelings result from possession: An entity steals a 
soul during sleep. The changelings were thus “fairy-pos- 
sessed.” As the preceding account shows, a changeling 
had “demonic” characteristics much as a person pos- 
sessed by a demon does: an altered personality, evil ten- 
dencies and acts, supernormal abilities (prophecy), and 
an altered physical appearance. The hunchback is even 
called “a veritable demon.” 

In the case of changelings, the possession was usually 
permanent. Exorcism remedies exist in fairy lore; how 
effective they were probably depended on the nature of 
the problem affecting the infant. One remedy in French 
lore, for example, was to leave a changeling outdoors. The 
fairies would hear it cry and take it back, leaving the true 
child in its rightful place. 

Fairies were well known for bewitching milk, and 
exorcisms of milk once were common in folklore prac- 
tices. The vessel for containing the milk was exorcized 
and blessed, and so was the milk poured into it. Demons 
as well as fairies possessed milk; sometimes little or no 
distinction was made between one and the other. 

The biography of the Irish patron saint Columba, who 
lived in the sixth century, tells a story about the saint’s 
exorcism of milk. The Vita Columbae was written by Ad- 
amnan, the abbot of Iona. One day a youth named Co- 
lumban did the milking and took the pail to St. Columba 
for exorcism. The saint made the sign of the cross in the 
air, but the lid flew off and most of the milk spilled. Co- 
lumba said, “Thou has done carelessly in thy work to- 
day; for thou has not cast out the demon that was lurking 
in the bottom of the empty pail, by tracing on it, before 
pouring in the milk, the sign of the Lord’s cross; and now 
not enduring, thou seest, the virtue of the sign, he has 
quickly fled away in terror, while at the same time the 
whole of the vessel has been violently shaken, and the 
milk spilled.” Columba then ordered a half-full pail to be 
carried to him for exorcism. When he blessed it, the pail 
miraculously filled with milk. 

One old folk custom in Brittany, France, called for the 
burning of green branches on the summer solstice. Domes- 
tic farm animals were passed through the smoke, which 
exorcized all evil spirits and fairies and protected them 
from bewitchment and possession. In the case of cows, it 
especially guaranteed the abundant supply of milk. 


Fairies in Contemporary Lore 

Since Victorian times, fairies have been increasingly 
stripped of their formidable powers and trivialized as lit- 
tle beings with wings, or female ballerinalike figures with 
wands. The fictitious Tinkerbell, created by the Scottish 
novelist J. M. Barrie around the turn of the 20th century 
as part of the Peter Pan stories, also added to the degrad- 
ing of fairies to inconsequential, little creatures. The con- 
tinuing portrayal of fairies in popular media is of cute, 
magical little beings with no demonic associations. The 
“tooth fairy” who leaves money in exchange for teeth left 
underneath a pillow is still popular with small children. 


FURTHER READING: 

Briggs, Katherine. The Vanishing People. New York: Pantheon 
Books, 1978. 

Evans-Wentz, W. Y. The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries. 1911. 
Reprint, New York: Carroll, 1990. 

Stewart, R. J. The Living World of Faery. Lake Toxaway, N.C.: 
Mercury, 1995. 


fallen angels Angels who fall from God's grace and 
are punished by banishment from heaven, becoming 
DEMONS. 

The three versions of the book of Enoch associate fallen 
angels with the WATCHERS, 200 angels who descend from 
heaven to cohabitate with women and corrupt humanity 
and are severely punished by God. 2 Enoch speaks of four 
grades of fallen angels: 


1. SATANAIL, the prince of the fallen one. Satanail was 
once a high angel who thought he could be greater 
than God and thus was cast out of heaven on the 
second day of creation. He is imprisoned in the 
fifth heaven. 

2. The Watchers, who also are imprisoned in the fifth 
heaven, dejected and silent. 

3. The apostate angels, the followers of Satanail who 
plotted with him and turned away from God’s com- 
mandments. They are imprisoned in the second 
heaven, a place of “darkness greater than earthly 
darkness.” There they hang under guard, waiting 
for the “measureless judgment.” The fallen angels 
are dark in appearance, and they weep unceasingly. 
They ask Enoch to pray for them. 

4. Angels—possibly some of the Watchers—who are 
sentenced to be imprisoned “under the earth.” 


In Christianity, LUCIFER is the arrogant, prideful angel 
cast out of heaven, mentioned briefly in Isaiah as “Son of 
the Morning” or “Morning Star.” One-third of the heav- 
enly host fell with him—133,306,668 angels, according 
to lore. They fell for nine days. Theologians have posited 
that a portion of each of the nine orders of angels fell; some 
said the fallen ones compose a tenth order. The fallen an- 
gels become demons who seek to ruin men’s souls, a view 
reinforced by the influential theologian St. Thomas Aqui- 
nas. Lucifer later became identified with SATAN. 


familiar 87 


Archangel Michael evicting Lucifer and his followers from 
heaven (AUTHOR’S COLLECTION) 


falling stars © DEMONs who have no way station in which 
to rest and so fall from the sky. 

In the Testament of Solomon the demon ORNIAS ex- 
plains to SOLOMON that demons have the capability of 
flying up to heaven in order to eavesdrop on God and 
learn his plans. But because they have no place to rest, 
they become exhausted and fall to Earth like flashes of 
lightning, burning fields, and cities. People think they are 
falling stars. 

Folklore traditions through history hold that falling 
stars are the souls of those who have just died or who are 
descending to Earth to be reborn. 


familiar A spirit that maintains regular contact with a 
person, sometimes acting in service or guardianship, or 
providing information and instruction. The term familiar 
is from the Latin term familiaris, meaning “of a house- 
hold or domestic.” 

Familiars can be either good or evil in nature, and 
they vary significantly in intelligence and powers. They 
assume many shapes, such as elementals, animals, birds 
and insects, and even spirit lovers. The shapes assumed 
reflect the nature of the spirit, who may be intent on de- 
ceit. Personal familiars sometimes attach themselves to a 


family bloodline and serve generations. They can possess 
people and animals and are capable of acting indepen- 
dently of the people with whom they associate. 

Familiars are summoned via magical ritual, given, ap- 
pointed, traded, bought, and sold, or they appear of their 
own volition. They can be housed in bottles and rings. 
They have been part of shamanic and SORCERY traditions 
around the world. 


Early Beliefs about Familiars 
The Greeks and Romans believed in familiars called DAIM- 
ONEs, which occupied homes, buildings, and other places 
and attached themselves to people. Such spirits provided 
advice and guidance, performed tasks, acted as servants, 
and did guard duty. Socrates said daimones whispered 
in his ear to warn him of danger and misfortune. Ploti- 
nus also was said to have a familiar, who appeared when 
summoned and obeyed him and was superior to lower- 
ranking spirits such as the genii, guardians of places. 
Other early beliefs about familiars cross over into 
the lore of FAIRIES, elves, brownies, gnomes, and trolls. 
Spirits that work in mines and guard hidden treasures 
are sometimes called familiars. The DJINN summoned by 
King SOLOMON to build his Temple of Jerusalem are com- 
parable to familiars. 


Familiars in Magic and Witchcraft 

Familiars can be conjured magically for a variety of 
purposes. In esoteric lore, they are the constant atten- 
dants and servants of magicians, wizards, spell cast- 
ers, and healers. Low familiars are inanimate objects, 
such as magical books that mysteriously appear. The 
English magician John Dee acquired a scrying (divin- 
ing) crystal inhabited by a familiar spirit, which he and 
his assistant, Edward Kelley, used to communicate with 
angels and spirits. High familiars assume plant, animal, 
and human shape. Some familiars assume whatever 
shape is needed for their purposes. Dee had another fa- 
miliar, Madimi, who appeared as either a young girl or 
an adult. She even appeared naked when dealing with 
a sexual matter. 

According to tradition, familiars can be magically 
locked in bottles, rings, and stones and sometimes sold as 
CHARMS for success in gambling, love, and business. 

In witchcraft lore, familiars are low-ranking DEMONs 
or IMPs given by the DEVIL to those who commit to PACTs 
with him. Or witches inherited familiars from other 
witches. Demonic familiars were said by witch hunters 
to serve witches in all ways, even sexually. They carried 
out spells and bewitchments. Most witch familiars were 
believed to be in animal form; some were spirits kept in 
bottles and flasks. Even FAIRIES were said to be familiars. 

A witch could have multiple familiars. Cats, especially 
black, were the favored forms. The fear that all cats were 
witches’ familiars led to cat massacres in Europe. 

The witch hunter Pierre de Lancre said the highest- 
ranking witches have familiars in the shape of horned 


88 familiar 


Low-level demons, or familiars, carrying out tasks for their 
masters (AUTHOR'S COLLECTION) 


frogs that sit on their left shoulder and are invisible to 
everyone but other witches. Some witches had familiars 
in human form. 

Other common witches’ familiars were dogs, toads, 
mice, ferrets, weasels, birds, wasps, bees, moths, hedge- 
hogs, rabbits, and farm animals, as well as monstrous hy- 
brid creatures. For example, the accused English witch 
Elizabeth Clark (17th century) confessed to having five 
familiars, including Vinegar Tom, a creature that looked 
like a greyhound with an ox’s head and could shape shift 
into a headless child. 

Familiars all supposedly had grotesque names that 
gave away their true demonic identities. Elizabeth Fran- 
cis, an accused witch in the Chelmsford, England, trials 
of 1556, had a white spotted cat named Sathan. Other 
names recorded at witch trials were Verd-Joli, Verdelet, 
Ilemanzar, Greedigut, Jezebel, Abrahel, Grissell, Marti- 
net, Blackman, and Pyewackett. 

Witches who were arrested and imprisoned were 
watched secretly to see whether their familiars came to 
their aid. Even a fly, ant, or cockroach that went toward 
a witch was called a familiar. Guards had to watch care- 
fully that familiars—believed to be assassins dispatched 
by the Devil—did not kill an accused witch before she 
could be tried. 

Witches were said to take great care of their familiars, 
suckling them with their own BLOOD through “witch’s 
marks,” small teats, discolorations, and welts upon their 
bodies. 

Having a familiar was sufficient to condemn a witch 
to death. In England, the Witchcraft Act of 1604 made it a 
felony to “consult, covenant with, entertain, employ, feed, 
or reward any evil and wicked spirit to or for any intent 
or purpose.” 

In contrast to the familiars of the witch trials, the lit- 
erary MEPHISTOPHELES is an elegant familiar, usually as- 
suming the form of a tall man in black who attends his 
victim, FAUST, in order to subvert his soul. Faust also was 
accompanied by a black dog familiar. 


Many modern Witches, Wiccans, and Pagans have fa- 
miliars as magical helpers. Many are animals (often cats) 
whose psychic attunement makes them ideal partners in 
magic. Some Witches turn pets into familiars, and oth- 
ers send out “calls” on the psychic planes to draw in the 
right animal. Others create familiars from astral thought 
forms. 

Familiars attend rituals and protect against negative 
spirits. They are sensitive to psychic vibrations and power 
and are welcome partners inside the magic circle for the 
raising of power, the casting of spells, scrying, spirit con- 
tact, and other magical work. They also serve as psychic 
radar, reacting visibly to the presence of any negative or 
evil energy, whether it be an unseen force or a person who 
dabbles in the wrong kind of magic. Familiars are given 
psychic protection by their witches. 


Sexual Familiars 

Spirits enjoy human sexual intercourse, either by draw- 
ing energy from people engaged in it or by assuming or 
possessing a human form in order to participate in sex 
directly. Depending on the nature of a familiar, it enjoys 
the higher spiritual nature of sex or the lustful physical 
nature of it. A familiar might try to influence a sexual 
encounter by prolonging it as long as possible. It usually 
presses on top of a person or lies alongside him or her. 
A person feels a sexual encounter with a familiar as in- 
tense waves of physical pleasure. Familiars can engage in 
sex by possessing a person’s body and generating internal 
sensations of pleasure, by possessing a person’s human 
lover to manipulate his or her hands and body, and by 
causing erotic dreams. 

The low, demonic types of spirit sexual encounters 
are with an INCUBUS (male demon) or SUCCUBUS (female 
demon). During the witch hysteria, witches were said to 
copulate with demon lovers, and demons masquerading 
as seductive humans attacked sleeping people at night 
and raped them. 


Problems with Familiars 

Frequent contact with familiars can result in nightmares, 
physical injuries caused by familiars, and also OBSESSION, 
in which a person sees, hears, and feels an influencing 
spirit, and POSSESSION, in which the familiar completely 
takes over a person. 

Also, spirits do not always distinguish between truth 
and falsehood, and so discernment must be applied to 
whatever information they impart. Familiars can mani- 
fest as voices in the head that cause compulsive, aberrant 
behavior, including self-inflicted wounds, suicide, and 
violence toward others. Excessive and draining contact 
with them can create mental, emotional, and physical 
strain and breakdown. 

Familiars that create problems can be banished by 
ending all engagement with them or, if necessary, by rit- 
ual banishment. 

See SINISTRARI, LUDOVICO MARIA. 


Faust 89 


FURTHER READING: 

Calmet, Dom Augustin. The Phantom World: Concerning 
Apparitions and Vampires. Ware, England: Wordsworth 
Editions in association with the Folklore Society, 2001. 

Summers, Montague. The History of Witchcraft and Demonol- 
ogy. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, 1926. 

Thomas, Keith. Religion and the Decline of Magic. New York: 
Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1971. 

Tyson, Donald. Familiar Spirits: A Practical Guide for Witches 
and Magicians. St. Paul, Minn.: Llewellyn, 2004. 

Valiente, Doreen. An ABC of Witchcraft Past and Present. 
1973. Reprint, Custer, Wash.: Phoenix, 1986. 


Faust Legend of a learned but arrogant man who 
makes a PACT with the DEVIL. The Faust legend was based 
on the legend of THEOPHILUS and circulated widely in 
Europe in medieval times. It was published as a novel in 
the mid-1500s after the Protestant Reformation. 

The best-known version of the story was published 
in 1587 by a German publisher, Johann Spies. Translated 
into English by 1594, the manuscript inspired Christo- 
pher Marlowe to write his play, The Tragicall History of 
D. Faustus, around 1601. In the late 18th century, Johann 
Wolfgang von Goethe wrote his version of Faust. 


The Early Story of Faust 
Faust, the son of a husbandman, was born in Roda, Wei- 
mar, Germany. He was raised in a Christian household. 
Faust had a superior intellect and earned a doctorate in 
theology. But he was vain and arrogant. He indulged in 
gluttony and lust. 

Faust began dabbling in MAGIC. One night, he went to 
a CROSSROADS in the woods, cast a magic circle, and con- 
jured the Devil. The Devil appeared as a griffon or dragon, 
then as flying lights, then as a burning man, and finally as 
a gray friar who asked Faust what he wanted. Faust com- 
pelled him to agree to go to his house the next morning. 

By evening, Faust agreed to a pact presented by the 
Devil. He agreed to three things: 


e Faust would become the Devil's property after a cer- 
tain number of years. 

e He would sign an agreement to this effect in his 
own BLOOD. 

e He would renounce the Christian faith and defy all 
believers. 


In exchange, the Devil would fulfill every lust of 
Faust’s heart and grant him the body and powers of a 
spirit. In his arrogance, Faust thought the Devil might 
not be as bad as others said. 

The Devil revealed his name as Mephostophiles (ME- 
PHISTOPHELES). Faust gave him the following written pact: 


I, JOHANN FAUSTUS, Dr., 

Do publicly declare with mine own hand in covenant 
& by power of these presents: 

Whereas, mine own spiritual faculties having been 
exhaustively explored (including the gifts dispensed 


from above and graciously imparted to me), I still cannot 
comprehend; 

And whereas, it being my wish to probe further into 
the matter, I do propose to speculate upon the Elementa; 
And whereas mankind doth not teach such things; 

Now therefore have I summoned the spirit who cal- 
leth himself Mephostophiles, a servant of the Hellish 
Prince in Orient, charged with informing and instruct- 
ing me, and agreeing against a promissory instrument 
hereby transferred unto him to be subservient and obe- 
dient to me in all things. 

I do promise him in return that, when I be fully sated 
of that which I desire of him, twenty-four years also 
being past, ended and expired, he may at such a time 
and in whatever manner or wise pleaseth him order, 
ordain, reign, rule and possess all that may be mine: 
body, property, flesh, blood, etc., herewith duly bound 
over in eternity and surrendered by covenant in mine 
own hand by authority and power of these presents, as 
well as of my mind, brain, intent, blood and will. 

I do now defy all living beings, all the Heavenly Host 
and all mankind, and this must be. 

In confirmation and contract whereof I have drawn 
out mine own blood for certification in lieu of a seal. 


Doctor Faustus, Adept 
in the Elementa and in Church Doctrine. 


Thus began Faust’s relationship with Mephostophiles, 
whom he conjured daily inside his locked study. The DE- 
MON always appeared in the guise of a friar. Mephosto- 
philes indulged Faust with the finest foods and then an 
endless supply of women. 

Faust also plied the demon with questions about the 
formation of the world, heaven and HELL, and how the 
ranks of demons came into being as a result of the fall of 
LUCIFER. 


Title page of Christopher Marlowe’ The Tragicall Historie 
of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus (AUTHOR’S 
COLLECTION) 


90 Faust 


After nearly eight years had passed, Faust one day or- 
dered Mephostophiles to summon his lord, BELIAL, but 
BEELZUBUB appeared instead. Faust asked to be taken on 
a tour of hell. Beelzebub returned with a bone chair and 
whisked Faust away. 

It seemed Faust fell asleep, and when he awakened, 
he was in the abyss, which was full of contorted animals, 
sulfuric stenches, quakes, lightning, flames, and tremen- 
dous heat. He also saw many well-known people, includ- 
ing royalty, suffering in the heat. Faust was returned to 
his own bed, but he was certain he could not withstand 
hell himself. 

Faust then desired to see the heavens, and a coach 
drawn by two dragons appeared and took him up into 
the sky, 47 miles up. He looked down upon the earth, and 
then he was taken into heaven. 

In his 16th year of bondage to the Devil, Faust under- 
took a pilgrimage to Rome, where he had dinner with the 
pope and stole his goblets and flagons. He then went to 
Constantinople and visited the Turkish emperor. 

Faust had other adventures, including meeting Em- 
peror Charles V and the duke of Bavaria. 

Faust entertained a group of students by having Me- 
phostophiles conjure up Helen of Troy. 

After Faust had spent 19 years with the Devil, an 
old man tried to persuade Faust to repent and return 
to Christianity, but Faust renewed his demonic pact by 
writing another one in his own blood. He affirmed that 
in another five years, Lucifer would have full sway over 
him. 

Faust had Helen summoned again and began living 
with her. In the 23rd year of his pact, she became preg- 
nant and bore a son, whom Faust named Justus Faustus. 

When Faust’s 24 years were nearly up, he made out a 
will. As his end approached, he became depressed and 
fearful of his fate. He regretted his pact. He summoned 
his students for a final night of dining and company at a 
village inn and urged them all to follow a good life. 

That night between midnight and one o'clock, a great 
storm arose. A hideous music filled the inn, along with 
Faust’s cries. The students were too frightened to look 
into his room. 

The next morning, Faust was gone. But a hideous sight 
greeted the students: 


The parlor was full of blood. Brain clave unto the walls 
where the Fiend had dashed him from one to the other. 
Here lay his eyes, here a few teeth. O it was a hideous 
spectaculum. Then began the students to bewail and 
beweep him, seeking him in many places. When they 
came out to the dung heap, here they found his corpse. 
It was monstrous to behold, for head and limbs were still 
twitching. 


Helen and Justus were missing, never to be seen 
again. 

The students obtained permission to bury Faust’s re- 
mains in the village. They discovered Faust’s written re- 


cord of all that had happened to him—a sober lesson in 
the consequences of dallying with the Devil. 

The story of Faust had different versions and grew 
in length as time went on. For Faust, there is no re- 
demption; once the demonic pact is made, the price of 
it must be paid. Other stories of demonic pacts allowed 
for repentance and redemption, specifically through the 
intervention of the Blessed Virgin Mary (see MARY OF 
NEMEGEN). 


Goethe’s Faust 

Goethe began Faust in 1774 and worked on it for 60 years, 
leaving parts of it to be opened posthumously. The story 
is of a genius who sells his soul to the Devil, then sins, re- 
pents, dies, and is redeemed. Faust is an aspect of Goethe 
himself and shows Goethe’s knowledge of religion and al- 
chemy and his mystical speculations. 

The Prologue in Heaven was probably influenced by 
Goethe’s reading of Paradise Lost by John Milton. It pres- 
ents God with the archangels Michael, Raphael, and Ga- 
briel. Mephistopheles, the Devil, enters as a court jester 
and asks God about mankind’s wretchedness. God men- 
tions Faust, “my serf,” and agrees to let Mephistopheles 
try to sway him. Faust is “doctor” of all knowledge of all 
the realms, but he has no solace. He projects a noble as- 
piration of the human spirit, despite his sinister side. He 
serves as the focal point for the struggle between good 
and evil as a necessary part of evolution. In Goethe’s view, 
the seeds of good can lie hidden in evil, but at the same 
time, there can be something satanic in the loftiest feeling 
or the satanic can even grow out of it. 

In part 1, Faust is in despair with weariness and emp- 
tiness. He deplores the limitations of book learning and 
decides to seek real power through magic, but both his 
immense knowledge and magical power have been re- 
buffed by the Earth Spirit, the lesser deity that dwells 
in the earth. He is miffed that he, “godhead’s likeness,” 
“more than cherub,” has been “withered” by the Earth 
Spirit’s rejection. Faust is about to commit suicide when 
Easter bells and a chorus of ANGELs interrupt him. Me- 
phistopheles—a symbol of the libido’s greed for gold and 
lust—arrives on the scene with attendant spirits he calls 
“my airy cherubim.” The seduction of Faust through his 
limitations begins, and Faust sells him his soul. His youth- 
ful vigor restored by a witch, he descends into sensual- 
ity, which destroys Gretchen, an innocent woman who 
loves him. Faust attends a witches’ sabbat. He watches 
Gretchen die and prays to the heavenly hosts for protec- 
tion. A heavenly voice proclaims she is redeemed while 
Mephistopheles insists she is damned. 

As part 2 opens, it seems lifetimes later. Faust wakes 
in a charming landscape with FAIRIES and Ariel (the same 
spirit of the air from Shakespeare’s play). Mephistopheles 
next takes Faust to Greece for an inside view of an em- 
peror, lovemaking with Helen of Troy, and frolic among 
the gods, satyrs, fauns, and nymphs. His steady move- 
ment to damnation contrasts with the glories of knowl- 


Fureas 91 


edge and sensuality. After Faust dies, he is buried by an- 
gels and DEMONS. 

In act 5 of part 2, the heavenly angels confront Me- 
phistopheles and his devils to seize Faust’s soul and carry 
it off. In the epilogue, male and female saints and blessed 
children sing of God’s plan as the ranks of angels com- 
ment on the ascent of Faust’s immortal essence. Gretchen 
is heard among the chorus of penitent women, and Faust’s 
soul is received by a Sophia-like “Woman Eternal.” 


FURTHER READING: 

Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von. The Autobiography of Johann 
Wolfgang von Goethe. Vols. 1 & 2. Chicago: University of 
Chicago Press, 1976. 

Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von. Faust. Edited by Cyrus Ham- 
lin, translated by Walter Arendt. New York: Norton, 
1976. 

Gray, Ronald D. Goethe the Alchemist: A Study of Alchemical 
Symbolism in Goethe’ Literary and Scientific Works. Mans- 
field Centre, Conn.: Martino, 2002. 

“Historia and Tale of Doctor Johannes Faustus.” Available 
online. URL: http://lettersfromthedustbowl.com/Fbkl1. 
html. Downloaded March 7, 2008. 

Lukacs, Georg. Goethe and His Age. New York: Grosset & 
Dunlap, 1969. 

Fischer, Doris See DORIS FISCHER OBSESSION. 

Flauros (Hauras, Haurus, Havres) FALLEN ANGEL and 

the 64th of the 72 SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. Flauros reigns as 

a duke with 36 LEGIONs of DEMONs under his command. 

He appears first as a terrible leopard but, if commanded, 

will change shape into a man with fiery eyes and a terri- 

ble countenance. If invoked into the magician’s triangle, 
he will give true answers to questions about the past, 
present, and future; outside the triangle, he will lie. 

Flauros will talk openly of divinity, the creation of the 

world, and the fall of the ANGELs, including his own fall. 

He will destroy and burn one’s enemies but will protect 

those who invoke him from temptation, spirits, and 

other dangers. 


Focalor (Forcalor, Furcalor) FALLEN ANGEL and the 
4lst of the 72 SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. Prior to his fall, 
Focalor was a member of the angelic order of thrones. In 
HELL, he reigns as a duke with 31 LEGIONs of DEMONs. He 
appears as a man with griffin wings. He has the power of 
the wind and the sea and drowns men and sinks war- 
ships. If commanded, he will not harm anyone. Prior to 
his fall, he was in the order of thrones. After 1,000 years, 
he hopes to return to the seventh heaven. 


Foras (Forcas, Furcas, Fourcas) FALLEN ANGEL and 
31st of the 72 SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. Forcas is a president 
who commands 29 LEGIONs of DEMONS. He appears as a 
strong man or as a chevalier. He teaches logic, ethics, 
and the virtues of herbs and precious stones. He makes 


people invisible, discovers hidden treasures and lost 
objects, and imparts wit, wisdom, eloquence, and lon- 
gevity. 


Forneus FALLEN ANGEL and 30th of the 72 SPIRITS OF 
SOLOMON. Forneus is a marquis of HELL, who appears as 
a sea monster. He teaches rhetoric, art, and languages 
and confers a good reputation. He causes people to be 
loved by their enemies. Prior to his fall, Forneus was in 
the order of thrones and partly in the order of ANGELs. 
He governs 29 LEGIONS of DEMONS. 


Fortea, Father José Antonio (1968— ) One of the 
foremost demonologists and EXORCISTs of the Catholic 
Church. Father José Antonio Fortea is also a calligrapher, 
author, and parish priest. 

Fortea was born in Barbastro, Spain, in 1968. His fa- 
ther was an attorney, and Fortea expected to follow in his 
footsteps. He studied theology at the University of Na- 
varre and received a degree of licentiate in history of the 
church at the faculty of theology of Comillas. At Navarre, 
he wrote a thesis, “Exorcism in the Present Age.” Not long 
after that, the bishop there was given a case of POSSESSION 
and consulted Fortea because of his expertise. Another 
case arose within a year and a half. 

Fortea turned his thesis into a book for the general 
public, Interview with an Exorcist: An Insider’s Look at the 
Devil, Demonic Possession and the Path to Deliverance. He 
soon found himself to be the only exorcist in Spain. He 
took training from the Vatican exorcist FATHER GABRIELE 
AMORTH. 

In 1998, he defended the thesis under the direction of 
the secretary of the Commission for the Doctrine of the 
Faith of the Spain Conference of Catholic Bishops. 

His best-known case is “Marta,” a young woman who 
went into a possessed trance and writhed like a snake 
on the floor of a chapel near Madrid. The case is still 
open. In 2005, journalists were able to witness one of her 
EXORCISMS. 

According to Fortea, many of the people who consult 
him are suffering something related to spirits, such as 
INFESTATION, but he estimates that fewer than 1 percent 
are suffering from genuine possession. Phenomena he has 
witnessed in possession cases include levitation, the abil- 
ity to speak in foreign languages unknown to the victim, 
supernormal strength, and knowledge of things impos- 
sible for the possessed to know. 


FURTHER READING: 

Fortea, Fr. José Antonio. Interview with an Exorcist: An Insid- 
ers Look at the Devil, Diabolic Possession, and the Path to 
Deliverance. West Chester, Pa.: Ascension Press, 2006. 


fox fairy See HULI JING; KITSUNE. 


Fureas (Furcas) FALLEN ANGEL and 50th of the 72 SPIR- 
ITS OF SOLOMON. Fureas is a knight who commands 20 


92 Furfur 


LEGIONs of DEMONs. He appears as a cruel man with a 
long beard and hairy head, riding a pale horse and carry- 
ing a sharp weapon. He teaches rhetoric, philosophy, 
logic, astronomy, chiromancy (divination of the hands), 
and pyromancy (divination with fire). 


Furfur FALLEN ANGEL and 34th of the 72 SPIRITS OF 
SOLOMON. Furfur is an earl with 26 LEGIONs of DEMONS 


under his command. He appears as a hart with a fiery 
tail. When summoned, he must be placed within the 
magician’s triangle, or what he says—if he speaks at 
all—will be false. Once in the triangle, he changes form 
to that of a beautiful ANGEL, who speaks with a hoarse 
voice. Furfur causes love between a husband and wife. 
He will give true answers about secret and divine things. 
He can raise thunder, lightning, and great winds. 


Gaap (Goap, Tap) FALLEN ANGEL and 33rd of the 72 
SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. Once a member of the angelic order 
of powers, Gaap is a president and mighty prince in 
HELL, ruling 66 LEGIONs of DEMONs. He appears when the 


Gaap (DICTIONNAIRE INFERNAL) 


93 


Sun is in the southern signs, as a human with huge bat’s 
wings and preceded by four powerful kings. Gaap teaches 
liberal sciences and philosophy; excites love and hatred; 
makes men insensible; gives true answers about the past, 
present, and future; and takes FAMILIARs away from magi- 
cians. Upon command, he will move people quickly from 
place to place. Gaap gives instruction in the consecration 
of things that belong to the divination of his master, 
AMAYMON. 


Gadreel (Gadriel) In 1 Enoch, a FALLEN ANGEL. Gadreel 
means “God is my helper.” Gadreel leads Eve astray and 
teaches men how to make the weapons of war. 


galli In Sumerian lore, a group of seven DEMONs who 
live in Kur, the underworld. 

The galli attend Ereshkigal, the sister of Inanna and the 
goddess of death and gloom. Ereshkigal sits naked on a 
throne of lapis lazuli in her palace, which is surrounded by 
seven walls. Anyone, either mortal or god, who enters Kur 
is doomed to stay. The galli, however, are free to come and 
go. When they go to the world of the living, they terrorize 
people and kidnap them to Kur. Galli can exist in favorable 
form. They do not eat or drink or sexually molest people as 
many other demons do. However, they despise children. 

According to lore, Ereshkigal imprisoned Inanna in the 
underworld. She escaped, but the galli tracked her down 
and threatened to take her back unless she found a good 
substitute. Inanna discovered that her lover, Dumuzi, was 


94 Gamaliel 


Galli (AUTHOR’S COLLECTION) 


not sad at her death but was celebrating it. In a rage, she 
killed him with a look and gave him over to the galli to 
take her place in Kur. The galli fell upon Dumuzi, tore up 
his face, and slashed him with an ax. Dumuzi takes the 
place of Inanna in Kur for six months of the year. During 
that time, it is winter. 


FURTHER READING: 

Black, Jeremy, and Anthony Green. Gods, Demons and Sym- 
bols of Ancient Mesopotamia. London: British Museum 
Press, 1992. 


Gamaliel ANGEL and DEMON. Gamaliel means “recom- 
pense of God.” 

In the Nag Hammadi and other Gnostic literature, Ga- 
maliel is a great aeon, or angellike demigod, whose name 
is mentioned frequently for graciousness and protection. 
With ABRAXAS and Sablo, Gamaliel takes the elect into 
heaven. The occultist Eliphas Levi saw Gamaliel as an 
evil adversary of the cherubim angelic order, a demon 
who serves under LILITH. 


Gamigin (Gamygyn) FALLEN ANGEL and fourth of the 
72 SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. In HELL, Gamigin is a duke with 
30 LEGIONs of DEMONs. He appears in the form of a small 
horse or ass and then changes into a human. His voice is 
hoarse. Gamigin teaches liberal sciences and delivers 
news about people who have died in sin. He can summon 
the souls of drowned men and those who are in purga- 
tory. These souls appear as aerial bodies before the magi- 
cian and give answers to questions. 


Garadiel DEMON and wandering duke of the air, who 
never stays in one place. Garadiel has 18,150 servants, but 
no dukes or princes beneath him. The number of his atten- 
dants varies according to the hours of the day or night. All 
are good-natured and willing to obey commands. 


Gaufridi, Louis 
BAPTISM; PACT. 


See AIX-EN-PROVENCE POSSESSIONS; 


Gediel DEMON among the 31 AERIAL SPIRITS OF SOLO- 
MON. Gediel is the second in command under CASPIEL 
and has 20 servants during the day and 20 during the 
night. Each duke has 20 servants. All are courteous and 
willing to obey the commands of an EXORCIST or magi- 
cian. Eight principal dukes of the day under Gediel are 
Coliel, Naras, Sabas, Assaba, Sariel, Panciel, Mashel, and 
Bariet. Major dukes of the night are Reciel, Sadiel, Agra, 
Anael, Aroan, Cirecas, Aglas, and Vriel. 


Gemory (Gomory) FALLEN ANGEL and 56th of the 72 
SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. Gemory is a powerful duke in HELL 
with 26 LEGIONs of DEMONs. He appears as a beautiful 
woman with the crown of a duchess, who rides a camel. 
He discovers hidden treasures and gives true answers 
about the past, present, and future. He procures the love 
of women, especially girls, but also old women. 


genie In pre-Islamic and Islamic lore, a DJINN. The 
term genie is an English translation of djinn, which first 
appeared in print in 1655 and is probably also related to 
the older Latin term genius, a type of guardian or tute- 
lary spirit of people, places, and things that was demon- 
ized by Christianity. 

Genie became the popular English term for djinn, pri- 
marily because the French translators of The Book of One 
Thousand and One Nights, a collection of Arabic folktales, 
used it in place of djinn. One of the most familiar tales, 
“Aladdin’s Wonderful Lamp,” features a genie released 
from a magical lamp that fulfills wishes. 

In Roman mythology, the genius (pl. genii) is present 
at the birth of a person, remains with him or her through- 
out life, and shapes the person’s character and destiny. Ifa 
guardian ofa place, the genius serves as the animating force 
that gives a location its unique power and atmosphere. 

In Assyrian lore, the genie is a guardian spirit or mi- 
nor deity. In art, it is often portrayed as having a role in 
royal rituals. Genies are anthropomorphic, with animal 
heads (and sometimes wings) and human torsos and 
limbs. They guard and purify kings, members of royalty, 
supernatural figures, and open doorways against malevo- 
lent demons and the disorders they cause. In art, they are 
shown holding a pinecone in the right hand and a bucket 
of either water or pollen in the left hand. Both bucket and 
cone have associations of purification. Portrayals of ge- 
nies were placed in buildings as guardians. 

See DJINN. 


goblin 95 


FURTHER READING: 

Black, Jeremy, and Anthony Green. Gods, Demons and Sym- 
bols of Ancient Mesopotamia. London: British Museum 
Press, 1992. 

Gerasene Demoniac See JESUS. 

ghoul A DEMON who feeds on the flesh of human 

beings, especially travelers, children, or corpses stolen 

out of graves. Ghoulish entities are universal. They are 
prominent in Arabic lore; the name is from the Arabic 
terms ghul (masculine) and ghula (feminine), which 
mean “demon.” There are several types of ghouls in Ara- 
bic lore; the most feared is a female type that has the 
ability to appear as a normal, flesh-and-blood woman. 

Such a creature marries an unsuspecting man, who 

becomes her prey. 

Ghouls are nocturnal creatures who inhabit grave- 
yards, ruins, and other lonely places. Sometimes they 
are described as dead humans who sleep for long periods 
in secret graves, then awake, rise, and feast on both the 
living and the dead. Ghouls also personify the unknown 
terrors held by the desert and may be compared to the 
LAMI4E and LILITH night terror and childbirth demons. 


Gilles de Rais (Gilles de Retz) (1404-1440) Wealthy 
and distinguished French nobleman executed on charges 
of child murder, performances of the BLACK Mass, and 
sacrifices to the DEVIL. 

Gilles de Montmorency-Laval, the baron de Rais, dis- 
tinguished himself in the military as a young man. He took 
up the side of the dauphin Charles in Charles’ dispute with 
the English over the French throne and was assigned to 
Joan of Arc’s guard. He fought several battles with Joan 
and accompanied her to Reims for the coronation of the 
victorious dauphin as Charles VII. The king named him 
marshal of France. After Joan was captured by the English 
in 1431 and executed, Gilles returned to his family lands 
in Brittany. 

He had enormous wealth—besides his inheritance, 
he had married a wealthy woman in 1420—and he lived 
in a more lavish style than even the king. He employed 
hundreds of servants, hired 200 knights as bodyguards, 
and held extravagant parties. Gilles eventually spent all 
his money and went deeply in debt. He began selling off 
lands to pay off debt and finance his high-style living. In 
1435, Charles officially prohibited him to sell or mortgage 
more land. 

Desperate, Gilles turned to alchemy and began invok- 
ing DEMONs in an attempt to gain more riches. Rumors 
began to circulate that Gilles was involved in far more 
than alchemy but was kidnapping children for sexual 
abuse and ritual torture and murder. The duke of Brittany 
and his chancellor, who were interested in confiscating 
Gilles’ lands if they could have him convicted of heresy, 
probably encouraged the rumors. Gilles was arrested in 


September 1440 and charged with abducting and murder- 
ing more than 140 children in Black Mass rituals. He was 
brought to trial in Nantes before both an ecclesiastical 
court and a civil court. 

The church inquisitors brought 47 charges against 
Gilles. Among them were accusations that he sodomized 
boys and girls; hung them until they were nearly dead, 
raped them, and then cut off their heads; and burned, 
tortured, and dismembered them. He was alleged to have 
let many bleed to death slowly, having intercourse with 
them while they died or after they were dead. He sup- 
posedly cut out their eyes and organs with a dagger and 
offered them to the Devil. He was accused of gloating over 
their pain and suffering. 

Gilles refused to plead to the charges, which he said 
were not true. He was threatened with excommunication 
and so pleaded not guilty. The ecclesiastical trial lasted 
40 days. Gilles was tortured until he confessed not only 
to committing the crimes but to enjoying them as well. 
Several of his servants and alleged accomplices also were 
tortured. 

In the civil court parents of missing children testi- 
fied that their children had disappeared in the vicinity 
of Gilles’ castle. Gilles’ personal attendants testified they 
had witnessed his defiling and murdering children and 
had counted their heads. 

Gilles was condemned for heresy, sodomy, and sacrilege 
and was found guilty of murder. The civil court sentenced 
him to death. On October 26, 1440, Gilles was executed. 
By some accounts, he was hanged. By other accounts, he 
was strangled and set to burn, the common punishment 
for witches and sorcerers, and his family was permitted to 
remove his body and bury it in a Carmelite church. 


Glasya Labolas (Caacrinolaas, Caassimola, Glasyal- 
abolas) FALLEN ANGEL and 25th of the 72 SPIRITS OF SOL- 
OMON. Glasya Labolas is a president in HELL. He appears 
as a winged dog. He can make men invisible and discern 
the past and the future. He is the leader of all homicides 
and incites people to bloodshed. He teaches all arts and 
science instantly. He commands 36 LEGIONs of DEMONS. 


goblin A wandering sprite who attaches itself to house- 
holds and both helps and plagues the residents. Goblins 
are comparable to low-level DEMONs, not inherently evil 
but mischievous, the equivalent of brownies in England 
and Scotland, kobalds in Germany, domoviks in Russia. 
The Greeks called such spirits kobaloi, or “rogues” or 
“tricksters.” Goblin is a French term. A hobgoblin is a 
nasty type of goblin, intent on doing harm. 

Goblins live in grottoes, but they are attracted to 
homes that have beautiful children and plentiful wine. 
When they move in, they help by doing household chores 
at night and disciplining children—by giving them pres- 
ents when they are good and punishing them when they 
are naughty. Goblins have an unpredictable, mischievous 


96  Gold-Finding Hen 


nature, and instead of doing chores at night, they will 
sometimes keep everyone awake by banging pots and 
pans, moving furniture, knocking on walls and doors, 
and snatching bedclothes off sleeping persons. Goblins 
who become tiresome can be persuaded to leave by scat- 
tering flaxseed on the floor. The sprites get tired of clean- 
ing it up every night. 

Goblins have become associated with Halloween and 
are said to roam the night when the veil between the world 
of the living and the world of the dead is thinnest. 

See BOGEY. 


Gold-Finding Hen A ritual for finding gold involving 
evocation of a DEMON. The Gold-Finding Hen ritual was 
popular with alchemists in the 18th and 19th centuries. 
The ritual tells how to hatch a magical hen, a black pul- 
let, that can be commanded to search out hidden gold 
and other treasures. There are different versions of the 
ritual in various GRIMOIRES, or magical handbooks. 

The Red Dragon (1822) tells how to do it with a demon’s 
help. Secure a black hen that has never mated and do so 
without making the hen cackle. Take it to a CROSSROADS 
at midnight and trace a magic circle around you with a 


Demon torments a greedy treasure hunter. (AUTHOR'S 
COLLECTION) 


cypress rod. Say three times, “Eloim, Essaim, frugativi et 
appellavi.” After making ritual movements, a demon will 
appear in a scarlet overcoat, a yellow vest, and pale green 
breeches. His head will be that of a dog, his ears those 
of an ass; his head will have two horns, and he will have 
the legs and hooves of a calf. The demon will ask for your 
orders, which he must obey at all costs. You can direct the 
demon to find treasures. 


FURTHER READING: 
Wright, Elbee. The Book of Magical Talismans/The Black Pul- 
let. Minneapolis: Marlar, 1984. 


Goodman’s Ground (Guidman’s Grunde) In Scottish 
lore, a portion of farmland that is left uncultivated and 
ungrazed. The offering of Goodman’s Ground was 
intended to avert misfortune, especially diseases among 
cattle. Other names were the Halyman’s Rig, the Good- 
man’s Fauld, the Gien Rig, the Deevil’s Craft, Clootie’s 
Craft, the Black Faulie, and Given Ground. 

Christian Church authorities considered this pagan 
practice to be an offering to the DEVIL and levied heavy 
fines on farmers who observed it. Belief in the power of 
Goodman's Ground was often strong enough for farmers 
to resist the church and pay the fines, which were seen as 
preferable to courting disaster and risking the death of 
their cattle. 

The Goodman’s Ground played a part in the witch- 
craft trial of Jonet Wishert in Aberdeen in 1596. It was 
testified that Wishert was seen in his Goodman’s Ground, 
naked from the waist down, bending over to kiss the Dev- 
il’s anus. 

The last fields dedicated to the “Auld Goodman” were 
finally ploughed at the beginning of the 19th century asa 
result of economic pressure. 


Goodwin Possessions (1688) Demonic POSSESSION of 
children in Boston, exorcized by the Puritan minister 
Cotton Mather. The possessions were blamed on a 
woman accused of WITCHCRAFT. Mather wrote about this 
case in his 1689 book Memorable Providences, which was 
widely read and circulated through Puritan New En- 
gland and probably influenced public opinions in the 
SALEM WITCHCRAFT HYSTERIA of 1692-93. 

The possessions began in the home of John Goodwin, 
a mason who lived in South Boston. Affected were four 
children ranging in age from three to 13. In the summer 
of 1688, the oldest child, Martha, went to fetch the fam- 
ily’s laundry from their washerwoman, an Irish woman 
named Goodwife Glover. The woman was not well liked; 
her husband had even accused her of being a witch on his 
deathbed. Martha thought some of the laundry was miss- 
ing and complained to Glover, who took offense at the 
insinuation of theft. Immediately, Martha began suffering 
fits and seizures. Within a few weeks, all four children 
were afflicted with physical tortures. Doctors were sum- 
moned but were baffled about the cause. 


Gospel of þhn 97 


The severity of the tortures increased, but always 
the children would be able to rest in their beds at night. 
Other times, they were stricken deaf and dumb and had 
their limbs, tongues, and mouths pulled about and their 
skin stretched. They made pitiful, animalistic noises and 
moans. 

Their father, John Goodwin, worried that he had com- 
mitted some grievous sin that turned his pious “little 
Bethel” house into a “den for devils.” Four ministers were 
asked to conduct a day of prayer, after which the youngest 
was permanently relieved of symptoms. Cotton Mather 
visited the family and prayed for DELIVERANCE and even 
took Martha into his own home for observation. 

One of the boys saw a dark shape wearing a blue cap 
in the house; the shape tormented him and an invisible 
hand tried to pull out his bowels. The children said blows 
of invisible clubs rained down upon them. Voices in their 
heads urged them to do violent acts, such as strike friends 
or throw themselves down stairs or strangle themselves. 
They broke objects and laughed hysterically. 

Glover was arraigned and put on trial, charged with 
witchcraft. Testimony was given that she allegedly had 
bewitched a person to death six years earlier. She ac- 
knowledged that she had been the black shape with the 
blue cap and invisible hand. Mather visited her twice in 
prison. He called her a “horrible old woman.” 

Glover did not deny the charges of witchcraft but said 
little about her activities as a witch. She acknowledged 
working with “the Prince,” or the DEVIL, and four of his 
DEMONS. Mather urged her to break her PACT with HELL, 
but she said she could not do it unless her ANGELs allowed 
her to do so. She did not want Mather to pray for her, but 
he did anyway. When he finished, she took out a stone, 
spit on it, and worried it. 

Glover was judged guilty and condemned to execution 
by hanging. Prior to her death, the almshouse where she 
had lived was plagued with mysterious banging noises. 
En route to her execution, she said that the children 
would not be relieved by her death, for others had a hand 
in it, and she named one other person. 

The three children still afflicted were not relieved at the 
death of Glover; rather, matters grew worse. John, Jr., saw 
a specter in the house and was pushed and stabbed by it. 
The children barked like dogs, yowled like cats, and com- 
plained that they felt as though they were ina red-hot oven. 
Their bodies were covered with bruises and red marks. 

The children would have periods of relief for a few 
weeks, and then the troubles would start again. The afflic- 
tions were the worst whenever ministers visited to pray. 
Martha enjoyed some relief upon her arrival in Mather’s 
home but then declared that the devils found her, and she 
began suffering again. She vomited weird balls the size of 
eggs and said she could feel the chains of the dead witch 
upon her. If Mather read the Bible, her eyes went blank, 
and she writhed on the floor and howled. She could not 
say the names of God and Christ. A demon in the form 


of a spectral horse appeared on many occasions and took 
her on flights through the air. 

The other suspect named by Glover died before she 
could be brought to trial. Mather and other ministers 
continued their prayers of deliverance and finally broke 
the possessions by November 1688. There was one final 
serious assault on Martha, when she said an invisible rope 
came about her neck and she choked until she was black 
in the face. Handprints were seen on her neck. 

After that, the assaults of the demons dwindled in fre- 
quency and severity. At Christmastime, Martha and one 
sister were made drunk without having had any alcohol. 
In her final fit, Martha seemed to be and thought she was 
dying. The fit ended, and she recovered. 

Mather was pleased with the case and considered it a 
fine example of righteousness overcoming the Devil. 


FURTHER READING: 

Burr, George Lincoln, ed. Narratives of the Witchcraft Cases 
1648-1706. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1914. 
Middlekauff, Robert. The Mathers: Three Generations of Puri- 
tan Intellectuals 1596-1728. Berkeley: University of Cali- 

fornia Press, 1999. 


Gospel of John Biblical text used against DEMONS. 

Although the reading of any Scripture sends a possess- 
ing demon into a tailspin, the words in the Gospel of John 
seem to cause the most discomfort. The beginning of the 
book, especially, sent medieval demoniacs into howling 
fits and tantrums. The following text appears in the King 
James version, much as 16th- and 17th-century exorcists 
would have read it: 


In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with 
God, and the Word was God. The same was in the 
beginning with God. All things were made by him; and 
without him was not any thing made that was made. 
In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And 
the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness compre- 
hended it not. 

John 1:1-5 


And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and 
we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotton of 
the Father), full of grace and truth. 

John 1:14 


If all things are made by God, then the Devil is also 
God’s instrument, perhaps sent to test humans’ faith. But 
can the Devil’s claims and boasts be believed? In chapter 
8, John tells that Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for not be- 
lieving in him or his works, saying: 


If God were your Father, ye would love me; for I pro- 
ceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of 
myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my 
speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of 
your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will 
do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode 


98 Grandier, Usain 


not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When 
he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, 
and the father of it. 

John 8:42-44 


The reasoning that any words spoken by the DEVIL 
were lies acted as a defense for many witches against 
their accusers. Claims that some poor soul had caused 
another to be possessed were looked on skeptically by 
early church inquisitors but not by later ones. Yet Catho- 
lic and Protestant exorcists alike believe in the ultimate 
power of God’s word over the work of the Devil; he may 
be the “father of lies,” but when confronted in the name 
of the Lord, the Devil is forced to yield and speak the 
truth. 


Grandier, Urbain (d. 1634) Priest framed and exe- 
cuted in the LOUDUN POSSESSIONS of Ursuline nuns in 
France. Urbain Grandier was brought down by his own 
arrogant charm and success, Reformation politics, and a 
spiteful nun he spurned. Burned alive at the stake, he 
was the only person to be executed in the case. 

Grandier, son of a lawyer and nephew of Canon Grand- 
ier of Saintes, was born to a life of privilege. A bright and 
eloquent student, he was sent at age 14 to the Jesuit Col- 
lege of Bordeaux. He spent more than 10 years studying 
there and took his ordination as a Jesuit novice in 1615. A 
promising career lay ahead of him. 


Grandier’s Troubled Rise 

At age 27, Grandier had accumulated many influential 
benefactors and was appointed curé, or parson, at Lou- 
dun. He also was made a canon of the collegial church of 
the Holy Cross. The town was sharply divided between 
the Protestant Huguenots, who abhorred the church, and 
Catholics. 

Town opinions immediately were divided over 
Grandier. Women found him appealing and a significant 
improvement over his aged predecessor. Grandier was 
young, handsome, sophisticated, and interesting. He was 
given immediate entree into the highest social circles. He 
was flattering. 

In times past, clerics could get away with quiet sex- 
ual escapades and affairs. But in the atmosphere at Lou- 
dun, disapproval of scandalous behavior was increasing. 
Grandier, a wayward priest, should have paid heed to the 
social climate, but instead he felt entitled to enjoy women, 
single and married, an attitude that earned him simmer- 
ing animosity among Loudun’s menfolk. 

Professionally, he excelled in preaching and in per- 
forming his religious duties, which earned him resent- 
ment among his peers. He was able to stay out of trouble 
because he had the support and favor of the town’s gover- 
nor, Jean d'Armagnac. 

Grandier, thinking himself to be invulnerable, made 
arrogant mistakes. He became embroiled in quarrels 
and did not hesitate to criticize the behavior of others, 
especially the Carmelites and Capuchins. He disparaged 


their relics, a source of income, and caused them a loss of 
patronage. 

One of Grandier’s many amorous affairs was with 
Philippe Trincant, the daughter of Louis Trincant, the 
public prosecutor of Loudun, who was one of Grandier’s 
staunchest allies. That Grandier, who had his choice of 
women, jeopardized his relationship with the prosecutor 
in such an unforgivable way reveals his arrogance. Philippe 
became pregnant and Grandier abandoned her, creating 
another great enemy in Louis Trincant. The prosecutor led 
an informal but growing group of citizens who wished to 
bring Grandier down for one reason or another. 

Grandier then set his sights on Madeleine de Brou, 30, 
the unmarried daughter of René de Brou, a wealthy noble- 
man. Madeleine had turned away many suitors, preferring 
a pious life. Unexpectedly, Grandier actually fell in love 
with her. He persuaded her to marry him, angering her 
family and Pierre Menuau, the advocate of King Louis XIII, 
who had been trying to win Madeleine’s hand for years. 

Grandier’s enemies complained to the bishop, Henry- 
Louis Chasteignier de la Rochepozay, who lived outside 
Paris, that Grandier was out of control. He was debauch- 
ing married women and young girls in his precinct, 
was profane and impious, and did not read his breviary, 
among other crimes. The bishop, who despised Grandier, 
ordered him to be arrested and imprisoned. The case was 
adjourned, however, and Grandier was given time to clear 
himself with his superiors. 

Instead, accusations of his impropriety were heaped 
upon him as townspeople came forward. He was accused 
of having sex with women on the floor of his own church. 
He touched women when talking to them. Grandier de- 
cided to appear voluntarily before the bishop rather than 
be humiliated by arrest. He was arrested anyway and 
taken to jail on November 15, 1629. 

After two weeks in the cold and dank prison, Grandier 
petitioned the bishop for his release, claiming he had re- 
pented. The bishop’s response was to increase his punish- 
ment. On January 3, 1630, Grandier was sentenced to fast 
on bread and water every Friday for three months and 
was forbidden to perform sacerdotal functions forever in 
Loudun and for five years in the Diocese of Poitiers. Such 
a sentence spelled ruin for Grandier, and he announced 
his intention to appeal the case. He had good odds of win- 
ning, for the archbishop was a close friend of Grandier’s 
key supporter, Governor d’Armagnac. 

Grandier’s enemies appealed to the Parlement of Paris, 
claiming he should be tried by the nonsecular court. A trial 
date was set for August. Only six years earlier, a parson 
had been burned alive at the stake for committing adultery. 
Grandier’s enemies hoped he would have the same fate. 

The case went in Grandier’s favor. Accusations from 
the townspeople were recanted, and Philippe’s father 
decided to protect what little remained of his daughter's 
reputation by keeping silent about her illegitimate child 
fathered by Grandier. The archbishop remained support- 
ive of Grandier. 


Grandier, Urbain 99 


Grandier was reinstated as curé, and he must have 
thought himself to be invulnerable. Friends advised him 
to be smart and leave Loudun, but he refused, perhaps to 
spite his enemies. 


Grandier’s Downfall 

The event that sealed Grandier’s doom at first seemed 
trivial. JEANNE DES ANGES, the mother superior of the Ur- 
suline convent at Loudun, invited him to take the vacant 
post of canon. He declined, citing the press of too many 
other duties. He had never met Jeanne or been to the con- 
vent. Unbeknowst to him, Jeanne was harboring a secret 
sexual obsession with him, and he had been the object of 
salacious gossip among the nuns for some time. 

Jeanne, a mean and vindictive woman, was stung. The 
man she appointed to fill the post, Canon Mignon, disliked 
Grandier. He became privy to the sexual secrets of the 
nuns, their nervous temperments, and their ghost pranks 
in their haunted convent. It was soon easy to let them run 
out of control and become bewitched and beset by DE- 
MONs. Mignon conspired with Grandier’s enemies to let it 
be known that he was responsible for their afflictions. 

Grandier shrugged off these stories, confident no one 
would believe them. As fantastic as they were, the stories 
found an audience not only among his enemies, but in 
the fertile political territory of Catholics and Protestants 
trying to sway the faithful with demonstrations of their 


Gres 
Na eE N 
— S o a Y 
= 7 RS 
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yy 7 


(pt 


Father Urbain Grandier is burned at the stake. (AUTHOR’S 
COLLECTION) 


spiritual firepower. Nothing played better for the Catho- 
lics than demonic possession. 

Soon the nuns were giving hysterical performances 
for swelling crowds, under the exorcisms of Mignon anda 
Franciscan, FATHER GABRIEL LACTANCE, and a Capuchin, 
Father Tranquille. Both Lactance and Tranquille were be- 
lievers in the demonic. 


Torture and Death 

On August 18, Grandier was convicted and sentenced to 
be tortured and burned alive at the stake, and his ashes 
scattered to the winds. The sentence also stated that he 
would be forced to kneel at St. Peter’s Church and the Ur- 
suline convent and ask for forgiveness. A commemorative 
plaque would be placed in the Ursuline convent at a cost 
of 150 livres, to be paid for out of Grandier’s confiscated 
estate. The sentence was to be carried out immediately. 

Grandier made an eloquent speech of his innocence 
to the stone-faced judges. So moved were the spectators, 
however, that many burst into tears, forcing the judges 
to clear the room. Grandier refused the last services of 
Lactance and Tranquille and made his final prayers. The 
exorcists, pushing Grandier’s alleged guilt to the maxi- 
mum, insisted that when he said the word God he really 
meant “Satan.” 

In anticipation of a guilty verdict and execution, 
about 30,000 people had flocked to Loudun to witness 
the spectacle. 

Grandier’s body was shaved, but his fingernails were 
not ripped out because the surgeon refused to obey the 
court. In the interests of moving matters along, that pun- 
ishment was forgone. He was then prepared for the ques- 
tion extraordinaire, the confession of his crimes. 

Lactance and Tranquille exorcized the ropes, boards, 
and mallets of torture, lest the demons interfere and relieve 
Grandier’s suffering. The curé was bound, stretched out on 
the floor, and tied from his knees to his feet to four oak 
boards. The outer boards were fixed and the inner boards 
were movable. Wedges were driven between the pairs so 
that his legs were crushed. The excruciating crushing took 
about 45 minutes. At every blow, Grandier was asked to 
confess, and he refused. The final hammer blows were de- 
livered by Lactance and Tranquille. Grandier’s smashed 
legs were poked, inducing more pain. The exorcists de- 
clared that the Devil had rendered him insensible to pain. 

For two more hours, Grandier was cajoled to sign the 
confession prepared for him, but he steadfastly refused, 
saying it was morally impossible for him to do so. The 
court finally gave up and sent him off to the stake. 

Grandier was dressed in a shirt soaked in sulfur and a 
rope was tied around his neck. He was seated in a mule- 
drawn cart and hauled through the streets, with a proces- 
sion of the judges behind him. At the door of St. Peter’s 
Church, the procession halted and a two-pound candle 
was placed in Grandier’s hands. He was lifted down and 
urged to beg pardon for his crimes. Grandier could not 
kneel because of his crushed legs and fell on his face. He 
was lifted up and held by one of his supporters, Father 


100 griffin-demon 


Grillau, who prayed for him as both of them wept in a 
piteous scene. The onlookers were ordered not to pray for 
Grandier, for they would be committing a sin. 

At the Ursuline convent, the same procedure was re- 
peated, and Grandier was asked to pardon Jeanne and all 
the nuns. He said he had never done them any harm and 
could only pray that God would forgive them for what 
they had done. 

Father René Bernier, who had testified against Grand- 
ier, came forward to ask for Grandier’s forgiveness and 
offered to say a mass for him. 

The place of execution was the Place Saint-Croix, 
which was jammed with spectators. Everyone who had a 
window had rented it out to capacity. More spectators sat 
on the church’s roof. Guards had to fight a way through 
the throng to reach the 15-foot stake driven into the 
ground near the north wall of the church. Faggots were 
piled at the base of the stake. 

Grandier was tied to a small iron seat fastened to the 
stake, facing the grandstand, where his enemies drank 
wine in celebration. He had been promised strangulation 
by the noose around his neck prior to the start of the fire. 

The Capuchin friars exorcized the site, including the 
wood, straw, and coals that would start the blaze and the 
earth, the air, the victim, the executioners, and the spec- 
tators. The exorcisms were done again to prevent the in- 
terference of demons to mitigate Grandier’s suffering and 
pain. His death was to be as excruciating as possible. 

Grandier made several attempts to speak, but the friars 
silenced him with douses of holy water and blows to his 
mouth with an iron crucifix. Lactance still demanded a 
confession, but Grandier gave none. He asked Lactance for 
the “kiss of peace,” customarily granted to the condemned. 
At first, Lactance refused, but the crowd protested, and so 
he angrily complied, kissing Grandier’s cheek. 

Grandier said he would soon meet the judgment of 
God, and so, eventually, would Lactance. At that, Lac- 
tance lit the fire, followed by Tranquille and another ex- 
orcist, Father Archangel. The executioner moved quickly 
to strangle Grandier but discovered that the noose had 
been secretly knotted by the Capuchins so that it could 
not be tightened. The friars doused some of the flames 
with holy water to exorcise any remaining demons. Left 
to burn alive, Grandier began screaming. 

A large black fly appeared, which the exorcists took 
as a sign of BEELZEBUB, the Lord of the Flies. Grandier’s 
body was consumed in flames. Then a flock of pigeons 
appeared, wheeling around the fire. Grandier’s enemies 
took this as a sign of demons, and his supporters took it 
as a sign of the Holy Ghost. 

When the fire burned itself out, the executioner shov- 
eled the ashes to the four cardinal points. Then the crowd 
surged forward to scavenge grisly souvenirs of teeth, bits 
of bone, and handfuls of ashes, to be used in CHARMs and 
spells. The relics of a sorcerer were considered to be quite 
powerful. When all were gone, the satisfied crowd dis- 
persed to eat and drink. 


Later, back at the Ursuline convent, Jeanne was exor- 
cized again. She said the fly was the demon Baruch, who 
had been intent on trying to throw the priests’ exorcism 
book into the fire. She confirmed that Grandier really had 
prayed to Satan, not to God. She said he suffered an ex- 
cruciating death thanks to the exorcisms of the priests, 
and that he was suffering special torments in HELL. 

Jeanne and the other nuns were remorseful about 
Grandier and worried that they had sinned. Soon, how- 
ever, the priest was forgotten, as the possessions and 
exorcisms continued. Tranquille and Lactance suffered 
demonic problems themselves and died. 


FURTHER READING: 

Certeau, Michel de. The Possession at Loudun. Translated by 
Michael B. Smith. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 
2000. 

Ferber, Sarah. Demonic Possession and Exorcism in Early Mod- 
ern France. London: Routledge, 2004. 

Huxley, Aldous. The Devils of Loudun. New York: Harper and 
Brothers, 1952. 


griffin-demon An Assyrian guardian against evil spir- 
its. The griffin-demon is a hybrid with a human body 
and bird head and wings. Figurines of griffin-demons 
were placed in foundations of houses and palaces to ward 
off DEMONs. 


grimoires Handbooks of magic that provide instruc- 
tions for rituals, the casting of spells, the procuring of 
treasure and love, the procuring of FAMILIARs, and the 
evocation and control of spirits, including DEMONs and 
ANGELS, to perform tasks. Grimoire is a French term for 
“grammar book.” 

Although any handbook of magic could be called a 
grimoire, the term usually applies to specific texts that 
claim the magical knowledge of King SOLOMON as their 
source. The material in grimoires is heavily derivative of 
Hebrew magical and mystical lore, involving the names, 
powers, and duties of spirits and the powerful names of 
God. Other principal sources are Hellenistic Greek and 
Egyptian magical texts and folk magic. 

Most of the principal grimoires were written in the 
17th and 18th centuries but claimed to be much older. 
They were popular well into the 19th century. Printed 
on cheap paper, grimoires circulated primarily in France 
and Italy. They are still consulted, but modern magicians 
have written their own textbooks of magic. 

Grimoires give instructions for rituals to conjure and 
control spirits and cosmic forces for protection, wealth, 
luck, supernatural power, CURSEs on enemies, and so 
forth. They instruct the magician on what to wear, what 
tools to use, how to purify himself, and what prayers and 
incantations to recite at precise astrological times and 
various hours of the day and night, according to the ruling 
spirits. They give recipes for fumigations, descriptions of 
the creation of magic circles, magic triangles, pentacles, 
AMULETS, TALISMANS, seals and sigils, instructions on sac- 


grimoires 101 


rifices, and ways to deal with unruly demons, including 
rites of EXORCISM. 

Some grimoires are devoted to theurgy, or white 
magic, while others concern goetia, or black magic. Some 
include both. The attainment of treasure and love and the 
ability to harm one’s enemies are prominent throughout 
the grimoires. Some were printed in red ink and were said 
to burn the eyes if gazed at too long. 

The following are the grimoires of significance: 


Key of Solomon The most important grimoire is the Key 
of Solomon, also called the Greater Key of Solomon and the 
Clavicle of Solomon. This text is the source for most other 
grimoires. The book is attributed to the legendary King 
Solomon, who asked God for wisdom and commanded an 
army of demons (DJINN) to do his bidding and build great 
works. In the first century C.E., the Jewish historian Jose- 
phus mentioned a book of incantations for summoning 
and thwarting demons that was attributed to the author- 
ship of Solomon. Josephus said that a Jew named Eleazar 
used it to cure cases of POSSESSION. Josephus may have 
been referring to the Key, but some historians believe it 
was the Testament of Solomon (discussed later) or, more 
likely, a different text altogether. 

The Key is mentioned in literature throughout the 
centuries, and over time it grew in size and content. So 
many versions of this grimoire were written that the orig- 
inal text is uncertain. A Greek version that dates to 1100- 
1200 C.E. is part of the collection in the British Museum. 
From the 14th century on, Solomonic magical works took 
on increasing importance. Around 1350, Pope Innocent 
VI ordered that a grimoire called The Book of Solomon be 
burned; later, in 1559, the Inquisition condemned Solo- 
mon’s grimoire again as dangerous. The Key of Solomon 
was widely distributed in the 17th century. Hundreds of 
copies of the Key, in differing versions, still exist. Suppos- 
edly, the original manuscript was written in Hebrew, but 
no such text is known. 


Lemegeton Another grimoire attributed to Solomon is 
the Lemegeton, or Lesser Key of Solomon. The origin and 
meaning of Lemegeton are not known. The book also was 
known as Liber Spirituum (see later discussion) and Liber 
Officiorum. Claims were made that the Lemegeton was 
originally written in Chaldean and Hebrew, but these are 
doubtful. The earliest perfect examples of it are in French. 
The material probably is derived in part from the Testa- 
ment of Solomon (discussed later) and also the apochry- 
phal book of Enoch. Part of the Lemegeton was published 
in Latin by the demonologist JOHANN WEYER in 1563, 
entitled Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (Pseudo-monarchy 
of demons). REGINALD SCOT translated part of it into his 
Discoverie of Witchcraft (1584). 

The book is divided into four parts: Goetia, Theurgia, 
the Pauline Art, and the Almadel. The Almadel was men- 
tioned in writing around 1500. Goetia is devoted to evil 
spirits. Theurgia (or Theurgia-Goetia, as it is also called) 
is devoted to both good and evil spirits and all aerial spir- 


FAAN 
Ji 

| 

| 

S) 


TS 


S iy 


The Devil and a sorcerer exchange copies of a book of black 
magic and the Gospels. (AUTHOR’S COLLECTION) 


its. The Pauline Art concerns the spirits who govern the 
planets, the signs of the zodiac, and the hours of the day 
and night. The Almadel concerns 20 chief spirits who 
govern the four quarters and the 360 degrees of the zo- 
diac. Goetia is the part published by Weyer. Waite specu- 
lated that Goetia is the original Lemegeton and the other 
three parts were unknown to Weyer and were added at a 
later time. 

The Lemegeton lists 72 FALLEN ANGELS, their titles, seals, 
duties, and powers, and the angels who can thwart them. 
The number 72 may have been inspired by the Schemh- 
amphorae, 72 angels who bear the Names of God, which 
are given in Hebrew Scripture and are expressed at the end 
of every verse. The verses are used in invocation and in 
magic. The Schemhamphorae function as names of power. 
The 72 demons in the Lemegeton possess teaching skills for 
the sciences and art, as well as the ability to cause terrible 
diseases and disasters. Few have any healing ability. 


Testament of Solomon The Testament of Solomon is a 
Greek text in the pseudepigrapha written between the 
first and third centuries C.E. It tells the story of how King 
Solomon built the Temple of Jerusalem by commanding 
demons. The text is rich in demonology, angelology, and 
lore about medicine, astrology, and magic. The author 
probably was familiar with the Babylonian Talmud. 

The text says that stellar bodies are demonic, wield- 
ing destructive power over the affairs of humanity. The 
36 decans, or 10-degree portions of the zodiac, are called 
heavenly bodies and likewise are ruled by demons, who 
cause mental and physical illnesses. There are seven 
“world rulers,” who are equated with the vices of decep- 
tion, strife, fate, distress, error, power, and “the worst,” 
each of whom is thwarted by a particular angel (with the 
exception of “the worst”). 

The testament provides a significant contribution to 
the legends of Solomon's magical powers and the magical 


102 grimoires 


handbooks attributed to Solomon. It is not a grimoire of 
magical instruction, however. 


Grand Grimoire This French grimoire was probably au- 
thored in the 17th or 18th century. The earliest edition 
of it bears no date or place of publication. One version of 
it claims to date to 1522. Its full title is The Grand Gri- 
moire, with the Powerful Clavicle of Solomon and of Black 
Magic; or the Infernal Devices of the Great Agrippa for the 
Discovery of all Hidden Treasures and the Subjugation of ev- 
ery Denomination of Spirits, together with an Abridgment 
of all the Magical Arts. The editor, Venitiana del Rabina, 
said he translated the work from the writings of Solomon 
himself, which came into his possession. 

The Grand Grimoire is a text of black magic. It has the 
same chief demons as the Grimorium Verum and nearly 
the same subordinate officers but describes different du- 
ties for them. The book is especially significant for its fea- 
ture of a specific PACT between the magician and LUCIFUGE 
ROFOCALE, the prime minister of LUCIFER, who makes his 
only appearance in all literature in this grimoire alone. 
However, his last name, Rofocale, may be an anagram of 
FOCALOR, a demon named in the Lemegeton. 

The book also includes instructions for necromancy. 


Grimorium Verum Drawn from the Greater Key of Solo- 
mon and written in French, this book probably was writ- 
ten in the mid-18th century. Claims were made that it was 
translated from Hebrew by a Dominican Jesuit named 
Plaingiere and was published by “Alibeck the Egyptian” 
in 1517. Its full title is Grimorium Verum, or the Most Ap- 
proved Keys of Solomon the Hebrew Rabbin, wherein the 
Most Hidden Secrets, both Natural and Supernatural, are 
immediately exhibited, but it is necessary that the Demons 
should be contented on their part. 

The Grimorium Verum nearly copies the Key of Solo- 
mon in instructions for preparation of the magician and 
his tools but provides different instructions for the prepa- 
ration of the virgin parchment and for the evocation and 
dismissal of spirits. There is an entirely different hierar- 
chy of demons, who number 30 and who report to three 
leaders, Lucifer, BEELZUBUB, and ASTAROTH, who have 
among them six deputy chiefs. 

The material also shows influences from Lemegeton. 
It includes the “Admirable Secrets” of the pseudo-Alber- 
tus Magnus, or Little Albert (see later), which appear in 
other later grimoires. The Grimorium Verum covers the 
“Genuine Sanctum Regnum,” or the true method of mak- 
ing pacts. 


Fourth Book Authorship is attributed to the occultist 
Henry Cornelius Agrippa, but the book, supposedly the 
fourth volume of Agrippa’s monumental three-volume 
Occult Philosophy, was written by an unknown author. It 
is also known as the Liber Spirituum and is in the open- 
ing of the Lemegeton. The Fourth Book appeared after the 
death of Agrippa in 1535 and rehashes in an informal 
way much of the material in Occult Philosophy. Weyer, a 


student of Agrippa, rejected it as a forgery, as did other 
occultists. 

As the Lemegeton does, the Fourth Book gives instruc- 
tions for communicating with evil spirits. It covers the 
names of spirits associated with the planets and their char- 
acters, sigils, and pentacles. There are rituals for evoking 
both good and evil spirits and for practicing necromancy. 

Waite called the Fourth Book “muddled” and said its 
lack of precision rendered it ineffective as a manual of 
magic. 


Grimoire of Honorius Also called the Constitution of Hono- 
rius, this text may have been authored in the 16th century 
but was first published in Rome in 1629. It gained wide 
circulation during the 17th century. The authorship is at- 
tributed to Pope Honorius III (r. 1216-27), who is cred- 
ited with rites of exorcism. The book shows influences 
from the Lemegeton and claims to be based on the practi- 
cal Kabbalah, but this connection is tenuous. Rather, it is 
the only grimoire to introduce significant Christian ele- 
ments, which earned it the reputation of the blackest of 
black magic texts. The grimoire is cast as a papal bull in 
which the pope decrees that the authorities of the church, 
from cardinals to secular clerks, should have the power of 
invoking and commanding spirits of all sorts. This power 
had been vested with the papal office as the successor to 
St. Peter. 

The rituals in Honorius combine kabbalistic elements 
such as the 72 sacred names of God and Christian ele- 
ments such as confessions, litanies, masses of the Holy 
Ghost and angels, the office of the dead, the GOSPEL OF 
JOHN, and various prayers with gruesome sacrifices of 
animals. The effect is more like a BLACK Mass than any- 
thing sacred. 

The 1670 edition of Honorius includes a rite of exor- 
cism for both humans and animals. The 1800 edition 
calls for using holy water in human exorcisms. In animal 
possessions, it prescribes the use of salt exorcized with 
BLOOD drawn from a bewitched animal. 

As a magical text, it is viewed as having little founda- 
tion and probably was written for commercial appeal. It is 
not to be confused with The Sworn Book of Honorius, cred- 
ited to the authorship of Honorius of Thebes, master magi- 
cian. Waite said that the grimoire “must be avoided, were 
it necessary at the present day to warn any one against 
practices to which no one is likely to resort, which belong 
to the foolish mysteries of old exploded doctrines, and are 
interesting assuredly, but only as curiosities of the past.” 


Arbatel of Magic The Arbatel of Magic is a slim text writ- 
ten in Latin and published in Basel, Switzerland, in 1575. 
It was translated into German in 1686. The authorship 
is not known, but it is speculated the person may have 
been Italian, because of several obscure references to 
Italian history. The book refers to “Theophrastic Magic,” 
indicating influences of Paracelsus. It has no connection 
to the Solomonic writings and does not even mention 


grimoires 103 


Solomon; rather, it has strong Christian elements. Waite 
considered it representative of “transcendental magic.” 

The Arbatel purports to be a nine-volume work of in- 
structions on the magical arts, but only the first volume, 
or tome, is extant. It is uncertain whether the other eight 
tomes were ever written; perhaps, the anonymous author 
intended to write them but failed to follow through. The 
first tome is called Isagoge, which means “essential or 
fundamental instruction.” 

Isagoge comprises Seven Septenaries of aphorisms of a 
moral and spiritual nature that cite the sources of occult 
wisdom: God, angels, learned men, nature (stones, herbs, 
and so forth), apostate spirits, ministers of punishment in 
HELL (comparable to the avenging classical gods), and the 
spirits of the elements. The wisdom obtainable from these 
sources ranges from the low magic of finding treasures to 
alchemical transmutations to mystical knowledge of God. 
Meditation, love of God, and living in accordance with 
the virtues are emphasized as the best means for practic- 
ing the magical arts. 


Theosophia Pneumatica Also known as The Little Keys of 
Solomon, this grimoire was published in 1686 in German. 
It possibly was included in the German edition of the Ar- 
batel of Magic, a work it follows closely. Of anonymous 
authorship, the Theosophia Pneumatica makes no claims 
to ancient origins. Like the Arbatel, it is Christian in ori- 
entation and holds that the exaltation of prayer is the end 
of the Mystery. The Hebrew term Talmud—derived from 
the verb for “to learn’—is used to describe the aspiring 
magician. The author also was knowledgeable about al- 
chemy and included references to it. 

The only section of the Theosophia Pneumatica that dif- 
fers significantly from the Arbatel is the appendix, which 
contains strong Christian elements and terminology used 
by the Swiss alchemist Paracelsus. It affirms that all things 
are threefold in nature after the model of the Father, Son, 
and Holy Ghost. Man is threefold, having a body, soul, and 
rational spirit. The body is of the earth. The soul is of the 
elements derived through the stars, is the seat of under- 
standing, and is the genius for arts and sciences. The ratio- 
nal spirit is from God and is the medium through which 
divine inspiration enters the physical body. The soul and 
rational spirit are joined in marriage by God to reside in 
the body. Regeneration is achieved when the rational spirit 
overcomes the soul. There are two kinds of death: dete- 
rioration of the body and destruction of the soul via poi- 
soned stellar influences. In either case, the rational spirit 
departs; it may also depart at the will of God. It is not pos- 
sible to cure certain diseases by which God has chosen to 
afflict humankind. The unicorn, Quintessence, azoth, and 
philosopher’s stone are all useless. All other diseases can 
be cured with natural magic and alchemy. 


Heptameron Also called Magical Elements, this book is 
attributed to Peter of Abano, an Italian physician who 
died in 1316 after being condemned to death by the In- 


quisition. Abano is not believed to be the author. The 
Heptameron probably was written in the loth century 
and may have been intended as a supplement to the 
Fourth Book. 

The grimoire is a composite work of white and black 
magic that deals with finding treasure, procuring love, 
detecting secrets, opening locks, fomenting hatred and 
evil thoughts, and so on. It is divided into two parts: the 
evocation of the Spirits of the Air, who are demons, and a 
set of angelic evocations for each day of the week. 


Little Albert Also titled Marvelous Secrets of the Natural 
and Cabalistic Magic of Little Albert, this text was published 
in 1722. Material from it appear in various grimoires. 


The Enchiridion of Pope Leo This book is technically not 
a grimoire: It offers no instructions for magical rituals 
but is a collection of charms turned into prayers, accom- 
panied by mysterious figures supposedly taken from rare 
old manuscripts. 

According to the story of the book’s alleged origins, 
Pope Leo III (r. 795-816) gave the Emperor of the West 
Charlemagne a collection of prayers after his coronation 
in Rome in 800. The collection had special properties: 
Whoever carried it about on his person with the proper 
attitude—respect for the Scripture—and recited it daily 
in the honor of God would have divine protection for his 
entire life. He would never be defeated by his enemies and 
would escape all dangers without harm. The text claims 
that Charlemagne, who enjoyed great fortune, wrote a let- 
ter of thanks in his own hand to Pope Leo II, which is 
still preserved in the Vatican Library. 

This collection of prayers was published as the 
Enchiridion for the first time in Rome in 1523. A second 
edition is said to have been issued in 1606 and a final 
edition in 1660. The book was probably composed in the 
17th century and given the legend to lend it authenticity. 
Charlemagne may not have been literate, and no letters of 
his are extant. 

The Enchiridion’s charms are dressed up as prayers, 
but few are spiritual in nature; they are instead concerned 
with material things such as acquiring wealth, happiness, 
and advantage and protecting ones self against all kinds 
of dangers, misfortunes, natural disasters, and evils. The 
text denies any association with magic, but in the fashion 
of magic, it describes a ritual for its proper use. The book 
must be kept clean in a bag of new leather. It must be 
carried on the person, and at least one page of it must be 
read with devotion every day. Specific pages can be read 
for various needs. To read from the book, one must face 
east and kneel, for this, claims the Enchiridion, is what 
Charlemagne did. 


Pseudomonarchia Daemonum More a text about de- 
mons and demonology than a grimoire, this was writ- 
ten around 1583 by Johann Weyer. It lists 68 of the 72 
demons found in the Lemegeton but does not give their 
seals or rituals. 


104 grimoires 


Alberti Parvi Lucii Liber de Mirabilibus Naturae Arca- 
nis Attributed falsely to the authorship of St. Albertus 
Magnus, this grimoire was published in Lyons, France, 
with the kabbalistic date of 6516. It gives instructions for 
making philters, interpreting dreams, discovering trea- 
sure, making a hand of glory (a black magic charm), mak- 
ing a ring that confers invisibility, and performing other 
magical acts. 

The following texts were written in the 18th and 19th 
centuries and are often called grimoires: 


The Book of Sacred Magic of Abra-Melin the Mage Author- 
ship is attributed to Abra-Melin (also spelled Abramelin), 
a Jewish kabbalistic mage of Wurzburg, Germany, who 
supposedly wrote the grimoire for his son in 1458. The 
manuscript, written in French in the 18th century, claims 
to bea translation of the original Hebrew manuscript. The 
book was a major influence in the 19th-century occult 
revival led by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. 
ALEISTER CROWLEY borrowed from it for his own rituals 
to master demons. 

The book comprises three books, all derivative of 
the Key of Solomon. According to lore, Abra-Melin said 
he learned his magical knowledge from angels, who told 
him how to conjure and tame demons into personal ser- 
vants and workers and how to raise storms. He said that 
all things in the world were created by demons, who 
worked under the direction of angels, and that each indi- 
vidual had an angel and a demon as familiar spirits. The 
basis for his system of magic, he said, may be found in 
the Kabbalah. 

The magical system is based on the power of numbers 
and sacred names and involves the construction of nu- 
merous magical squares for such purposes as invisibility, 
flying, commanding spirits, necromancy, shape shifting, 
and scores of other feats. Rituals for conjuring spirits, 
creating magic squares, and making seals and sigils are 
elaborate and must be followed exactly in accordance 
with astrological observances. 


True Black Magic Also called The Secrets of Secrets, this 
black magic grimoire purportedly was written in the 
1600s by a magician named Toscraec, who claimed that 
it was based on a centuries-old manuscript written in 
an unknown language. Toscraec said he was only able 
to translate the manuscript with the help of an angel. It 
probably was written in the 18th century. 

True Black Magic is a goetic adaptation of the Key of 
Solomon. In the book, claims are made that the manu- 
script was found in the tomb of Solomon, and it was 
translated from the Hebrew in 1750 by the magus Iroe- 
Grego. It includes 45 talismans, their properties and uses, 
and “all magical characters known unto this day.” The 
grimoire quotes Solomon as saying that divine love must 
precede the acquisition of magical wisdom. 


The Black Pullet According to lore, this grimoire was 
published in Egypt in 1740, but it was probably authored 
in the late 18th century in Rome or in France. The Black 


Pullet is one of the few grimoires that do not claim to be 
manuscripts of antiquity. It does not link itself to Solo- 
monic magic but shows influences of the spurious Fourth 
Book. It places particular emphasis on 20 magic talismans 
and 20 corresponding magic rings, plus two talismans of 
a magic circle and a magic rod or wand. It disavows all 
connections to black magic. It has appeared in altered 
versions as Treasure of the Old Man of the Pyramids and 
Black Screech Owl. The 22 talismans have been linked to 
the 22 trumps of the Tarot. 

The Black Pullet tells a colorful story about itself 
and its alleged origins. The original—and ambitious— 
French title of the grimoire was The Black Pullet, or 
the Hen with the Golden Eggs, comprising the Science of 
Magic Talismans and Rings, the Art of Necromancy and of 
the Kabbalah, for the Conjuration of Aerial and Infernal 
Spirits, of Sylphs, Undines, and Gnomes, for the acquisition 
of the Secret Sciences, for the Discovery of Treasures, for 
obtaining power to command all beings, and to unmask all 
Sciences and Bewitchments, The whole following the Doc- 
trines of Socrates, Pythagorus [sic], Zoroaster, Son of the 
Grand Aromasis, and other philosophers whose works in 
the MS. escaped the conflagration of the Library of Ptolemy, 
Translated from the language of the Magi and that of the 
Hieroglyphs by the Doctors Mizzaboula-Jabamia, Danhu- 
zerus, Nehmahmiah, Judahim, and Eliaeb, Rendered into 
French by AJ.S.D.R.L.G.F. 

The Black Pullet claims it is the narrative of an un- 
named man who was a member of Napoleon’s armed 
forces sent to Egypt. With several companions, he went 
to the pyramids outside Cairo, where they all stopped for 
lunch. They were attacked by Arabs, and all but the au- 
thor were killed. He was left for dead. When he regained 
consciousness, he assumed he would soon be dead be- 
cause he had been abandoned in the desert and delivered 
a farewell to the setting Sun. 

Suddenly, a stone rolled back in the Great Pyramid, 
and a man walked out. The soldier could tell by his tur- 
ban that he was a Turk. As luck would have it, the soldier 
knew the Turkish language and could communicate. The 
Turk revived him with liquor and took him inside the 
pyramid, which was revealed to be the magical home of 
the mysterious man. 

The soldier was astonished to find vast halls, endless 
galleries, subterranean chambers, and piles of treasures, 
all ministered by spirits. There were blazing lamps and 
magic suppers. A genius, or FAMILIAR, named Odous was 
the special attendant of the Turk. The soldier was also 
shown The Black Pullet, a text that was like a version of 
Aladdin and the magic lamp, but with an inner meaning 
conferred by the demon ASTAROTH. The magical power 
was created with talismans embroidered on silk and rings 
made of bronzed steel. 

The Turk said he was the only heir to this magic, 
which was based on Egyptian hieroglyphs. He told the 
soldier he was near death. He possessed a magic talisman 
that enabled him to be fluent in 22 languages. The Turk 


Guazzo, Francesco-Maria 105 


conveyed to the soldier all the secrets of the book, and 
then immediately he died on his sofa. The soldier fell into 
a swoon. 

When he recovered, the soldier left the pyramid, ac- 
companied by Odous, who was now under his command, 
and taking with him The Black Pullet, the ashes of the 
Turk, and piles of treasures. He sailed for Marseilles and 
settled in Provence, where he spent the rest of his days 
experimenting with the secrets of the book. He published 
the book and created a magic talisman that would affect 
anyone who pirated it with ears six inches longer than 
Midas’. 

The talismans of The Black Pullet are, in more modern 
times, embroidered onto silk but are best engraved on sil- 
ver, gold, or metals resembling them. They are sometimes 
used alone rather than in conjunction with the rings. 

Once armed with the talismans and rings, the spirits 
can be commanded. The evocation for Odous is “Thoma- 
tos, Benesser, Flianter,” which first summons 37 spirits. 
Address them by saying “Litan, Izer, Osnas,” and they 
will bow down before you. Say “Nanther” as each one 
does. The command “Soutram Urbarsinens” will cause 
the spirits to transport you through the air wherever you 
wish to go, and they will return you home upon the com- 
mand “Rabiam.” 

A major section of The Black Pullet tells how to pro- 
cure a GOLD-FINDING HEN. 


Red Dragon Published in 1822 but reported to date back 
to 1522, this is nearly identical to the Grand Grimoire. 
Later editions of Red Dragon incorporated the instruc- 
tions for the Gold-Finding Hen from The Black Pullet. 


Transcendental Magic This book comprises the occultist 
Eliphas Levis own system of magic and was published 
in 1896. The occultist A. E. Waite called it a grimoire of 
“absolute science.” Levi based his system on the Key of 
Solomon, adding his own views based upon his experi- 
ences in magic and alchemy. 


The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts Written in 1898 by 
Waite, the book discusses other grimoires and provides a 
“Complete Grimoire of Black Magic.” Waite draws upon 
and compares different grimoires in discussing rituals 
and the fundamentals of magic. 


FURTHER READING: 

Butler, E. M. Ritual Magic. Cambridge: Cambridge University 
Press, 1949. 

Cavendish, Richard. The Black Arts. New York: G.P. Putnam’s 
Sons, 1967. 

Grillot de Givry, Emile. Witchcraft, Magic and Alchemy. 1931. 
Reprint, New York: Dover, 1971. 

Levi, Eliphas. Transcendental Magic. 1896. Reprint, York 
Beach, Me.: Samuel Weiser, 2001. 

Mathers, S. L. MacGregor. The Book of the Sacred Magic of 
Abra-Melin the Mage. Wellingborough, England: Aquar- 
ian Press, 1976. 

Thompson, C. J. S. The Mysteries and Secrets of Magic. New 
York: Barnes & Noble, 1993. 


Waite, Arthur Edward. The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts. 
1899. Reprint, York Beach, Me.: Samuel Weiser, 1972. 
Wright, Elbee. The Book of Magical Talismans/The Black Pul- 

let. Minneapolis: Marlar, 1984. 


grotto A local organized group of Satanists, as well as 
the regular meeting place of groups of Satanists. The 
term originated with the Church of Satan, founded in 
1966 in San Francisco, which set up grottoes around the 
United States. In the mid-1970s, the grottoes were dis- 
solved and the church was reorganized as a secret soci- 
ety. Other Satanist organizations also use the term grotto 
for their local chapters. 


Guazzo, Francesco-Maria (17th century) Italian friar 
and demonologist. Francesco-Maria Guazzo is best known 
as the author of Compendium Maleficarum (Handbook of 
Witches), a leading inquisitor’s guide published in 1608. 
Little is known about Guazzo’s life. He joined the 
Brethren of St. Ambrose ad Nemus and St. Barnabas in Mi- 
lan. He wrote the Compendium over a three-year period in 
response to a request from Cardinal Federico Borromeo, 


COMPENDIUM 
MALEFICARUM 


The Montague Summers Edition 


Ki 
X 
N 


ENIN 


AEEA 


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AE 


Francesco Maria Guazzo 


Guazzos Compendium Maleficarum (AUTHOR'S COLLECTION) 


106 Gusion 


the archbishop of Milan. The book, published in 1608, 
draws upon the works of other demonologists and repeats 
some of the superstitions of the time, including the asser- 
tion that MARTIN LUTHER was born from the union of the 
DEVIL and a nun. 

Guazzo served as a judge and assessor in WITCHCRAFT 
trials. In 1605, he was sent to Cleves to advise in a case 
involving the serene duke John William of Julich-Cleves. 
The duke accused a 90-year-old warlock, John, of over- 
looking and ensorcelling him. John confessed that he 
used CHARMs and runes to afflict the duke with a wasting 
sickness and “frenzy.” He was found guilty and sentenced 
to be burned at the stake. Before the sentence could be 
carried out, John committed suicide by slicing his throat 
with a knife. According to Guazzo, the Devil himself 
stood at John’s side as he died. 

The duke asked Guazzo to assist in other witchcraft 
cases in Germany, and he did. 


The Compendium became the leading witch handbook 
in Italy and has been compared to the MALLEUS MALEFI- 
CARUM. Guazzo never achieved the personal fame of some 
of his contemporaries such as NICHOLAS REMY or JEAN 
BODIN, probably because he did not oversee witch trials 
and interrogations himself. 


FURTHER READING: 
Guazzo, Francesco-Maria. Compendium Maleficarum. Secau- 
cus, N.J.: University Books, 1974. 


Gusion (Gusayn) FALLEN ANGEL and fourth of the 72 
SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. In HELL, Gusion is a duke who 
appears as a cynocephalus (xenophilus). He discerns the 
past, present, and future; answers all questions; confers 
honor and dignity; and reconciles enemies. He com- 
mands 40 LEGIONS of DEMONS. 


Hades In Greek mythology, the god who rules the 
underworld of the dead. Hades is the son of the Titans 
Cronus and Rhea. With one of his brothers, Zeus, he 
plots to overthrow their father Cronus, the god of time. 
Hades; Zeus, god of Olympus; and another brother, Pose- 
idon, god of the sea, drew lots to divide up the world, 
and Hades fared the worst, getting the underworld. 

Hades seeks to increase the population of his kingdom 
and prevent anyone from leaving. The gates of his abode, 
also called Hades, are guarded by the three-headed dog 
CERBERUS. Hades’ wife is Persephone, whom he abducted 
to the underworld. 

Hades also is the god of wealth, because of the pre- 
cious metals mined from the earth; he is also called Pluto 
(the rich one or the hidden one). 

He has a helmet that makes him invisible. 

See HELL. 


Hagenti (Haagenti) FALLEN ANGEL and 48th of the 72 
SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. Hagenti is a president who rules 33 
LEGIONs of DEMONs. He appears in the shape of a bull with 
griffin wings but will change into human form when 
commanded by a magician. He turns wine into water, 
transmutes all metals into gold, and imparts wisdom. 


Haizmann, Christopher (Christoph) Joseph (17th 
century) Minor Bavarian painter who announced in 
1677 that he had signed a PACT with the DEVIL and was 
tormented by DEMONS for the rest of his life. 


107 


Christopher Haizmann was seized with an “unnatural 
convulsion” on August 29, 1677. He went to the police 
and asked for protection, claiming that nine years ear- 
lier, he had sold his soul to SATAN. The police granted his 
request. 

Haizmann wrote and illustrated the story of his infer- 
nal pact. He stated that the Devil one day had appeared 
to him as a burgher with a large black dog and asked him 
why he was distressed and sad. “He would help me out of 
my distress if I were willing to subscribe myself in ink to 
him to be his son; he would assist and help me in every 
possible way,” Haizmann wrote. 

The painter agreed to a nine-year contract. A pact 
was drawn up and signed in Haizmann’s BLOOD. Over 
the ensuing years, the Devil appeared to him many 
times in various grotesque shapes, including that of a 
dragon with breasts and talons. Satan also sent him vi- 
sions of HELL, which Haizmann described as “filled with 
burning flames and terrible stench. In it there was a 
large cauldron from which came heart-rending moans 
and groans of human beings; on its edge sat a hellish 
devil who did nothing but pour flaming resin, sulphur 
and pitch over them.” 

When the end of his contract approached, Haizmann 
grew anxious about his own fate. Sent by the local po- 
lice to a holy shrine at Mariazell, Haizmann underwent 
several days of EXORCISM, during which the Virgin Mary 
recovered the pact from the Devil. Less than a year later, 
Haizmann, complaining of continuing torment by the 


108 Halahel 


Devil, reappeared at the shrine and underwent another 
exorcism. This time, the Virgin Mary ripped up the pact. 

Haizmann committed himself to a Bavarian monas- 
tery but still could not live in peace. He spent the rest of 
his life tormented by visions of the Devil and his demons. 
He died in 1700. 

A noted Viennese librarian and researcher, the court 
councilor Dr. Rudolf Payer-Thurn found a document 
prepared at Mariazell that described Haizmann’s exor- 
cism. He showed the document to Sigmund Freud and 
asked for Freud’s analysis of the case. Originally appear- 
ing in Imago in 1923, Freud’s “Eine Teufelsneurose im 
Siebzehnten Jahrhundert” (“A devil neurosis of the seven- 
teenth century”) is considered a key document in Freud- 
ian psychoanalysis. 

The Mariazell papers, including paintings made by 
Haizmann during his possession, led Freud to believe the 
following: 


1. Rather feminine self-depictions of Haizmann in his 
paintings show Haizmann as suppressing homo- 
sexual tendencies. 

2. Multiple breasts in the paintings show Haizmann’s 
sexual associations with the Devil. 

3. The number 9—there is a nine-year gap between 
Haizmann’s pact with the Devil and its implemen- 
tation, and nine days in which Haizmann resisted 
the Devil—represents pregnancy fantasies. 

4. A penis is painted on the Devil in every picture. 
This, along with the pregnancy fantasies, show 
that Haizmann “recoiled from a feminine attitude 
toward his father which has its climax in the fan- 
tasy of giving birth to his child. Mourning for the 
lost father, heightened by yearning for him, [Haiz- 
mann’s] repressed pregnancy fantasy is reactivated, 
against which he must defend himself through neu- 
rosis and by degrading his father.” 

5. Freud found that Haizmann’s selling of himself to 
the Devil bought him peace of mind: “His father 
had died, he had become melancholy, and the devil, 
who came along and asked him why he was upset 
and mournful, promised to help him. ... Here we 
have someone who gives himself to the devil in 
order to be free of an emotional depression.” 

6. Ultimately, then, Freud reasoned, the Devil is a 
father figure. 


Halahel In The Lemegeton, a DEMON who is part good 
and part evil, and under the rule of BAAL. 


Halpas (Halphas) FALLEN ANGEL and 38th of the 72 
SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. In HELL, Halpas is an earl who appears 
in the form of a stork and speaks with a hoarse voice. He 
burns towns; it is also said that he builds towns and fills 
them with armed men. Halpas takes swords to the wicked 
and sends men either to battlefields or to other places. He 
rules 26 LEGIONs of DEMONs. 


Harlequin In European folklore, a GOBLIN figure whose 
name is sometimes synonymous with SATAN or the 
DEVIL. 

The origin of the name Harlequin is uncertain, and it 
has many variations of spellings, including erlequin, her- 
lekin, hierlekin, hellequin, hennekin, and hellekin. Herlaken 
is used as the name for the Devil and the will-o’-the-wisp. 
Harlican appears in French folklore to describe both Imps 
and troublesome children. The Hennekin, sometimes as- 
sociated with incubi (see INCUBUS), dance at CROSSROADS 
at night. The Herlethingi are troops of night wanderers 
who are the dead. In England, such bands were described 
in the 11th and 12th centuries and sometimes comprised 
dead aristocrats. They also appeared at noontime. Harle- 
quin (Helequin) is associated with the WILD HUNT as the 
leader of a pack of ghosts and DEMONs that ride through 
the air on stormy nights. Harlequin was a frequent clown 
character in the Italian improvisational theater called 
commedia dell’arte, popular in the 16th—18th centuries. 


FURTHER READING: 
Remy, Nicholas. Demonolatry. Secaucus, N.J.: University 
Books, 1974. 


Head of the Dragons DEMON in the form of a three- 
headed dragon with awful skin. 

In the Testament of Solomon, the Head of the Dragons 
is a three-pronged spirit that is responsible for birth de- 
fects and epilepsy. He says he overpowers others through 
three deeds: He can enter the wombs of women and blind 
the unborn, turn their ears around backward and make 
them deaf and dumb, and make men fall down, grind 
their teeth, and foam at the mouth. He is thwarted by an 
“angel of the Counselor” (Christ) at Golgotha. 

The demon tells King SOLOMON that a great deal of 
gold lies beneath the foundation of the Temple of Jeru- 
salem, which Solomon has under construction. Solomon 
finds the gold and binds the demon with his magical ring. 
He sentences the demon to make bricks for the temple. 


FURTHER READING: 

The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vols. 1 & 2. Edited by 
James H. Charlesworth. 1983. Reprint, New York: Dou- 
bleday, 1985. 


heavenly bodies Demons of the world of darkness who 
cause all the misery and strife in the world. 

The Testament of Solomon identifies two groups of 
seven or 36 heavenly bodies who are demonic powers of 
the world. Tsol 8 describes the first group of seven. In- 
terrogated by King SOLOMON, the demons say they live 
together in Lydia or on Mount Olympus, and they change 
their position. Their stars in heaven look small, but they 
are named as gods are. Six of them are thwarted (nulli- 
fied) by certain ANGELs. The seven are the following: 


e Deception, who deceives and causes the most evil 
heresies. He is thwarted by the angel Lamechiel. 


heavenly bodes 109 


Strife, who provides weapons for fighting and war- 
fare. He is thwarted by the angel Baruchiel. 

Fate, who causes men to fight instead of make peace 
with those who are winning. He is thwarted by the 
angel Marmaroth. 

Distress, who divides and separates men into 
opposing factions and creates jealousy, and who is 
followed by Strife. He is thwarted by the angel Bal- 
thioul. 

Error, who leads men astray by causing them to 
kill each other, dig up graves, and do other wicked 
things. He is thwarted by the archangel Uriel. 
Power, who feeds the greed for power, establishes 
tyrants, and deposes kings. He is thwarted by the 
angel Asteraoth. 

The Worst, who tells Solomon he will harm the king 
by causing him to be bound with the bonds of Arte- 
mis. The Worst does not name a THWARTING ANGEL. 


Solomon sentences the seven demons to dig the foun- 
dation of the Temple of Jerusalem, which is 250 cubits in 
length. 

Tsol 18 describes the second group of 36 heavenly 
bodies, demons who correspond to the decans (10-degree 
segments) of the zodiac. When summoned by Solomon, 
they appear with their heads “like formless dogs.” Some 
have the forms of humans, bulls, or dragons, with faces of 
birds, beasts, or sphinxes. They call themselves the world 
rulers of darkness and say the king has no power to harm 
them or lock them up, but since he has dominion over all 
the spirits of the air, the earth and beneath the earth, they 
take their place before him as other spirits do. Solomon 
instructs them to appear before him in order and explain 
who they are. The demons are as follows: 


Ruax, who causes headaches and is thwarted by 
Michael 

Barsfael, who causes pains in the side of the head 
and is thwarted by Gabriel 

Artosael, who damages the eyes and eyesight and is 
thwarted by Uriel 

Oropel, who causes sore throats and mucus and is 
thwarted by Raphael 

Kairoxanondalon, who causes ear obstructions and 
is thwarted by Ourouel (possibly a variant of Uriel) 
Sphendonael, who causes tumors of the parotid 
gland and painful stiffening of the body and is 
thwarted by Sabael 

Sphandor, who paralyzes limbs, destroys the nerves 
of the hand (possibly carpal tunnel), and weakens 
shoulders and is thwarted by Arael 

Belbel, who causes perversions and is thwarted by 
Karael 

Kourtael, who causes colic and bowel problems and 
is thwarted by Iaoth 

Metathiax, who causes kidney pain and is thwarted 
by Adonael 


Katanikotael, who causes domestic fights and dis- 
harmony. He is thwarted by sprinkling a house with 
water in which laurel leaves have been soaked and 
by intoning, “Angel, Eae, Ieo, Sabaoth.” 
Saphthoreal, who causes mental confusion and is 
thwarted by a written CHARM worn around the neck 
that says, “Iae, lao, sons of Sabaoth” 

Phobothel, who causes loosening of the tendons 
and is thwarted by Adonai 

Leroel, who causes chills, fever, and sore throat and 
is thwarted by the recitation of the words “Iax, do 
not stand fast, do not be fervent, because Solomon 
is fairer than eleven fathers” 

Soubelti, who causes shivering and numbness and 
is thwarted by Rizoel 

Katrax, who causes fatal fevers and is thwarted 
when a person rubs coriander on his or her lips and 
says, “I adjure you by Zeus, retreat from the image 
of God.” 

leropa, who sits on stomachs and causes convul- 
sions in the bath and who causes seizures and is 
thwarted when a person repeats three times into the 
right ear of the afflicted “Iouda Zazabou” 

Modebel, who causes husbands and wives to sepa- 
rate and is thwarted when someone places a writ- 
ten charm bearing the names of the “eight fathers” 
(Egyptian deities) on doorways 

Mardero, who causes incurable fevers and is 
thwarted when his name is written in a house 

Rix Nathotho, who causes knee problems and is 
thwarted when the name Phouneiel is written on 
papyrus 

Rhyx Alath, who causes croup in infants and is 
thwarted by the name Raarideris written and carried 
on a person 

Rhyx Audameoth, who causes heart pain and is 
thwarted by Raiouoth 

Rhyx Manthado, who causes pain in the kidneys 
and is thwarted by the written charm “Iaoth, Ouriel” 
(Uriel) 

Rhyx Atonme, who causes rib pain and is thwarted 
with a charm written on a piece of wood from a 
ship that has run aground that says, “Marmaraoth 
of mist” 

Rhyx Anatreth, who causes gas and burning bowels 
and is thwarted by “Arara, Arare” 

Rhyx, the Enautha, who causes people to change 
their minds and hearts and is thwarted by Kalazael 
Rhyx Axesbuth, who causes diarrhea and hemor- 
rhoids and is thwarted by pure wine that is drunk 
Rhyx Hapax, who causes insomnia and is thwarted 
when the written charm “Kok; Phedismos” is worn 
on the temples 

Rhyx Anoster, who causes hysteria and bladder pain 
and is thwarted when the afflicted takes laurel seeds, 
mashes them into oil, and massages the preparation 


110 Hecataea 


into the body while repeating, “I adjure you by Mar- 
maraoth” 

Rhyx Physikoreth, who causes long-term illness and 
is thwarted when the afflicted massages the body 
with salted olive oil while saying, “Cherubim, sera- 
phim, help (me)” 

Rhyx Aleureth, who causes the swallowing of fish 
bones and is thwarted when a fish bone is put in the 
breasts of the afflicted 

Rhyx Ichthuon, who causes detached tendons and 
is thwarted by the words “Adonai, malthe” 

Rhyx Achoneoth, who causes sore throats and ton- 
sillitis and is thwarted by a written charm of “Leik- 
ourgos” on ivy leaves made into a pile 

Rhyx Autoth, who causes jealousy and quarrels 
between people who love each other and is thwarted 
by a written charm of the letters alpha and beta 
Rhyx Phtheneoth, who casts the EVIL EYE and is 
thwarted by an inscribed eye 

Rhyx Mianeth, who holds “a grudge against the 
body” and causes flesh to rot and houses to be 
demolished and is thwarted by a written charm, 
“Melto Ardad Anaath,” placed at the entrance to a 
home 


Solomon forces all of these heavenly bodies to bear 
water for the Temple of Jerusalem. 


FURTHER READING: 
The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vols. 1 & 2. Edited by 
James H. Charlesworth. New York: Doubleday, 1985. 


Hecataea In Greek lore, frightening DEMONs and appa- 
ritions who are considered to be the “children” of Hecate, 
goddess of the underworld, dark Moon, ghosts, and 
magic. The Hecataea appear at the goddess’ bidding. 

See CHTHONIC DEITIES. 


Hel In Norse mythology, the goddess and ruler of Hel- 
heim, the realm of the dead. Hel is the youngest child of 
the evil god Loki and the giantess Angrboda. She is usu- 
ally described as a horrible hag, half-alive and half-dead 
(half-blue-black and half-flesh-colored), with a gloomy 
and grim expression. Her face and body are those of a 
living woman, but her thighs and legs are those of a 
corpse, mottled and moldering. Hel was cast into the 
underworld after being abducted by the gods. Her hall in 
Helheim is called Eljudnir (Sleet-Cold), the home of the 
dead, and has high walls. Her manservant is Ganglati 
and her maidservant is Ganglot (tardy). 


hell The underworld abode of souls of the dead. In 
Christianity, hell is the opposite of heaven and is the 
place ruled by the DEVIL, where DEMONs torment sinners 
for eternity. Hell is the complete absence of God, light, 
and love; a place of unbearable fire and horrible tortures. 
Hell takes its name from HEL, the Norse goddess of the 


netherworld. Most concepts of the afterlife segregate the 
good from the evil, sending them to separate abodes. 


Egyptian 

Amenti (also Amentet) is the underworld in the Osiris 
cult of Egyptian myth and religion. Amenti, which means 
“hidden land,” is located where the Sun sets in the west. 
After arriving at Amenti, the soul is taken by the jackal- 
headed god of death, Anubis, to a judgment hall. Anubis 
weighs the soul’s heart against the feather of truth and 
light, and the soul is judged by 42 judges. Worthy souls 
go to the fields of Aalu (also Aaru), which are reached 
by passing through either 15 or 21 gates guarded by evil 
demons armed with long knives. The Elysium-like fields 
were cultivated for food for the dead. Souls who fail judg- 
ment and weighing are eaten by a monster named Ammit 
(Ammut) and sent to a place of torment. 


Greek 

The Greek underworld of Hades is a realm of shadows. 
The souls of the dead are colorless shades who wan- 
der about in a depressing, gloomy world. According to 
Homer, they have no blood or bones, twitter like bats, and 
seek the vitalizing life forces from sacrificed animals and 
necromantic rituals. In later Greek thought, the good are 
rewarded and the wicked are punished. 

The dead reach the afterlife by crossing the river Ache- 
ron, the river of sorrow, in a boat driven by the ferryman 
Charon. He must be paid for passage, usually in the form 
of a coin placed under the tongue of the deceased. After 
passing by the guardian, the three-headed dog CERBERUS, 
the dead proceed to the place of judgment. 

Hades is divided into the Elysian Fields, a paradise for 
the good, and Tartarus, a hell for the wicked. There are 
many rivers. Besides the Acheron, major ones are the Co- 
cytus (lamentation), Phlegethon (fire), Lethe (forgetful- 
ness), and Styx (hate), the last of which divides the upper 
and lower worlds. 

Three judges of the underworld, Minos, Rhadaman- 
thus, and Aeacus, weigh souls at a place where three 
roads meet. The blessed are sent to the Elysian Fields, the 
wicked are sent to Tartarus, and those who are neither are 
sent to the Fields of Asphodel. 

The wicked are unhappy and suffer, but not at the 
hand of demons. 

Early Christians used the term Hades to translate the 
Hebrew term Sheol, the land of the dead. 


Zoroastrianism 

In Zoroastrianism, hell is created in the middle earth by 
AHRIMAN, the personification of ultimate evil. In his bat- 
tle against Ohrmazd, the good god, Ahriman attacks the 
earth, ripping apart the sky, thereby creating night. He 
hurtles toward the earth and bores straight through it, 
making a tunnel. This hole becomes hell, infested with 
demons. Damned souls are sent here to suffer extremes 
of heat and cold, loathsome stenches, rotting food, and 
the torments of demons, who gnaw, swallow, and pierce 


hell 111 


Demons whipping sinners in hell (AUTHOR’S COLLECTION) 


the damned with spears. The extent of punishment is 
suited to the crimes and sins of the souls. Souls who are 
neither wholly good nor wholly evil go to a purgatory- 
like place, Hamegstan, a shadowy and oppressive realm 
with extremes of heat and cold. Being sent to hell is not 
permanent, however. At the Last Judgement, all sin is 
purged. 

After death, the soul spends three days sitting at the 
head of its body praying for its future. Then, it must cross 
a river swollen with the tears of weeping loved ones. If too 
many tears have been shed, the river cannot be crossed. 
The soul is aided by its guardian angel. If the river is 
crossed, the soul then arrives at the Chinvat Bridge, or 
“Bridge of the Requiter,” to meet three angels of judg- 
ment: Mithra, Srosh, and Rashnu. The deeds of the soul 
are weighed. Depending on the good or evil reckoning, 
the bridge is wide and easily crossed, or sharp and nar- 
row, causing the wicked to fall into hell. 


One text, The Book of Arda Viraf, describes hell in 
detail as a gloomy, stinking, fiery, and depressing abode. 
There are four significant hills: Dush-humat, the place of 
evil thoughts; Dush-hukht, the place of evil words; Dush- 
huvarsht, the place of evil deeds; and Chakat-i-Daitih, 
a desert and dark stinking pit full of demons below the 
Chinvat Bridge. The deepest pit is Drûgâskan, a place so 
dark that the sense of sight is lost. 

Punishments fit the nature of sins; 85 are described 
in The Book of Arda Viraf from the sixth century. Eighty- 
five of its 101 chapters concern hell. The visionary is 
Arda Viraf, who travels to both heaven and hell with two 
guides: Srosh the pious and Ataro, an angel. Besides wit- 
nessing landscapes and tortures of hell, Arda Viraf sees 
Angra Mainyu, the deadly world destroyer later known 
as Ahriman. 

Unlike the Christian hell to come, demons do not 
force the punishments upon the damned; rather, the 


112 hell 


damned inflict the punishments on themselves, while 
demons look on. The most common punishment is eat- 
ing fetid and putrid things for thousands of years until 
the final resurrection. Other punishments include the 
eating of their own corpses, flesh, and excrement, men- 
strual fluids and semen, blood and brains from skulls of 
the dead, and their own children. Tortures also include 
hanging (particularly upside-down), dismemberment, 
decapitation, laceration, mutilation and self-mutilation 
by cutting, gnawing, devouring, gnashing, piercing, 
beating, tearing, trampling, stinging, and dragging. The 
wicked are stabbed and pelted and stretched on racks; 
they are forced to bear enormous burdens and perform 
painful and fruitless tasks; are burned and cooked in 
ovens, cauldrons, and frying-pans; are cast down into 
heat, cold, smoke, snow, and stench. They endure hun- 
ger and thirst, and they are forced to lick hot things or 
to defecate and masturbate continually; they are sub- 
merged in mud and turned into SERPENTs. Their eyes 
are gouged out and their tongues pulled out; putrid sub- 
stances are forced into their noses, eyes, and mouths. 
Their penises are gnawed and their breasts are gnashed 
and cut off. 

Fire is present in the Zoroastrian hell but is not an in- 
strument of torture; instead, hot implements and objects 
and molten metal are used against the damned. 


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The mouth of hell, with Lucifer atop and Satan in front of the 
jaws (AUTHOR'S COLLECTION) 


Judaism 

Sheol (place of the dead) is a shadowy place under the 
earth where souls continue their existence in the afterlife. 
The equivalent Greek term for the Hebrew Sheol is Hades, 
but as a place after death, not as a place of punishment. 
Daniel 12:2, which concerns the coming of the messi- 
anic kingdom, expresses the conviction that God will not 
abandon souls in Sheol: “And many of those who sleep in 
the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, 
and some to shame and contempt.” 

All souls go initially to Sheol (with the exception of a 
few righteous ones whom God takes straight to heaven). 
In 3 Enoch, two angels of destruction escort “intermedi- 
ate” souls (those equally good and bad) and wicked souls 
to Sheol. The intermediate souls are purified in fire in or- 
der to be fitting in God’s presence. They have spiritual 
forms that are human faces with eagle bodies. The faces 
are green because of the taint of their sin and will remain 
so until they are purified. 

The wicked souls, whose faces are as black as the bot- 
toms of pots because of their sins, are taken by an angel to 
Gehenna (hell) for punishment. Gehenna or Gehinnom 
(Valley of Hinnom) is associated with the literal valley 
of Hinnom south of Jerusalem, where human sacrifices 
were made to MOLOCH. Different accounts exist concern- 
ing the creation of Gehenna: it was created by God on 
the second day, or it existed before the world and its fire 
was created on the second day. It exists either above the 
firmament, behind dark mountains, or deep within the 
earth. Its fire is 60 times hotter than any fire on Earth 
and is never extinguished. It stinks of sulfur. Sinners go 
immediately to Gehenna, where they are punished in ter- 
rible pain for eternity. 


Christianity 

In orthodox Christianity, hell has four levels. The first 
two are limbo regions for pre-Christian souls, now un- 
occupied, and for the souls of unbaptized children. The 
third is purgatory, where most mortals go prior to admis- 
sion to heaven. The duration of their stay depends upon 
the gravity of their sins. The fourth is hell itself, reserved 
for eternal punishment of the damned, who have no hope 
of redemption. 

Hell exists in the bowels of the earth. Earthquakes are 
produced by the convulsions of the damned, according to 
orthodox belief. 

There are three gates to hell: in the inhabited land, 
in the wilderness, and at the bottom of the sea. In the 
Middle Ages, caves were considered to be the entry points 
to hell. 

Hell is characterized by extremes of temperature. 
There are unbearable furnaces and pitch and flames, and 
extreme cold, ice, and frigidity. The damned are punished 
according to their sins, and in ways similar to the de- 
scriptions of the Zoroastrian hell. Their bodies are tor- 
tured and ripped apart by demons; they are subjected to 
piercings and hanging in agonizing postures, such as by 


Hell-Fire Gub 113 


The gluttonous are punished in hell by being force-fed toads, 
rats, and snakes. (AUTHOR’S COLLECTION) 


their tongues or breasts. They have their organs and flesh 
devoured; they eat excrement and filth. They have their 
genitals and breasts mutilated. Worms crawl in and out 
of their eyes. 


Islam 

Jahnnam is the Islamic hell, the destination of not only 
criminals but infidels and those who do not believe in 
God. The damned are forced to eat bitter fruit from a 
tree called Zaqqum and endure a host of other tortures. 
The Qur’an emphasizes the torments of hell for wayward 
Muslims. The guilty are “bound with chains, their gar- 
ments pitch, and their faces covered with flames” (sura 
14:49-50). For those who oppose God’s message, “Hell 
will stretch behind them, and putrid water shall he drink: 
he will sip, but scarcely swallow. Death will assail him 
from every side, yet he shall not die. Harrowing torment 
awaits him” (sura 14:16-17), and “Garments of fire have 
been prepared for the unbelievers. Scalding water shall 
be poured upon their heads, melting their skins and that 
which is in their bellies. They shall be lashed with rods of 
iron” (sura 22:19-20). 


Visits to Hell 

Numerous religious figures and visionaries have visited 
one or both sides of the afterlife. Zarathustra (Zoroaster) 
was said to have made midnight trips to both heaven and 
hell, as did Moses. There is a tradition that JESUS went to 
hell for three days between his Crucifixion and ascension 


to heaven. The Bible makes no clear reference to it, but the 
statement that Jesus went to hell is in the Apostles’ Creed. 
l Peter 3:19 says that Jesus went to preach to “the spirits 
in prison,” a reference interpreted as meaning hell. 

EMMANUEL SWEDENBORG had numerous out-of-body 
visits to the afterlife, and ST. JOHN Bosco visited hell in 
vivid lucid dreams. 


FURTHER READING: 

Masters, Anthony. The Devils Dominion: The Complete Story 
of Hell and Satanism in the Modern World. London: Peter 
Fraser & Dunlop, 1978. 

Ogden, Daniel. Magic, Witchcraft, and Ghosts in the Greek and 
Roman Worlds: A Sourcebook. New York: Oxford Univer- 
sity Press, 2002. 

Rudwin, Maximilian. The Devil in Legend and Literature. La 
Salle, Ill.: Open Court, 1959. 

Russell, Jeffrey Burton. The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from 
Antiquity to Primitive Christianity. Ithaca, N.Y., and Lon- 
don: Cornell University Press, 1977. 


Hellboy (2004) Film about a DEMON conjured by the 
Nazis, who becomes a fighter for the forces of good. 
Directed by Guillermo del Toro, the film stars Ron Perl- 
man as Hellboy. The film is based on the comic book 
character created by Mike Mignola, which debuted in 
1993. 

In the last days of World War II, the Nazis conjure a 
young demon in a desperate attempt to avoid defeat. The 
Allies raid the camp and capture the demon, Hellboy. The 
demon joins the U.S. government to battle evil. His des- 
tiny is to be the Beast of the Apocalypse. 

Hellboy has supernormal strength and supernatural 
powers. He ages slowly and heals quickly. His oversized 
right arm and hand, called “the Hand of Doom,” is imper- 
vious to pain yet able to pick up things as small as flies. 
He uses it as a weapon. Other weapons include holy relics 
and a large revolver called “the Good Samaritan” that fires 
custom bullets made of garlic, silver, and holy water. 

Hellboy II was released in 2008. 


Hell-Fire Club Satanic order founded in England in 
the 18th century, more for the purpose of outrageous 
behavior and sexual play than actual Satanic rites or 
worship. 

The original Hell-Fire Club was founded by Lord 
Wharton for the purpose of “drinking, gambling and 
blaspheming.” Similar clubs also were in vogue, mostly 
among the aristocracy, such as the Edinburgh Sweat- 
ing Club, the Dublin Blasters, and the Demoniacs. In 
1721, a royal proclamation banned them, forcing them 
underground. 

The most famous Hell-Fire Club was founded by Sir 
Francis Dashwood, who owned a large estate in West 
Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, and who had married a 
rich widow. Dashwood joined forces with Paul White- 
head to tour erotic archaeological discoveries in Europe 


114 Hemah 


and also the private cardinals’ rooms at the Vatican. 
They acquired some GRIMOIRES of spells and conjura- 
tions and decided it would be interesting to indulge in 
magical activity. 

Dashwood, Whitehead, and their friends began meet- 
ing at the George and Vulture pub in Cornhill. They es- 
tablished as their motto and philosophy Fais Ce Que Vou- 
dras, “Do What Thou Wilt,” which later became part of 
ALEISTER CROWLEY’s “Law of Thelema”: “Do what thou 
wilt shall be the whole of the law.” 

The group, known first at the Secret Brotherhood 
and then as the “order of the Friars of Saint Francis of 
Wycombe,” were heavily influenced by Rosicrucianism 
in their satanic dabblings. They changed their meeting 
site to a more demonically suited location, Medmenham 
Abbey, the ruins of a 12th-century Cistercian monas- 
tery atop a hill. Dashwood made some additions to the 
abbey, including an artificial Gothic tower, frescoes on 
the walls and ceilings, and voluptuous statues. He re- 
stored the abbey church by turning it into a common 
room with a pagan altar. Dashwood and his fellow 
“monks” spent on the average two days a month at the 
abbey. Each “monk” had his own cell, to which he could 
take women. A pleasure boat afforded them trips up and 
down the Thames River. 

The “monks” also conducted rites in caves nearby. The 
caves stretched to the center of the hill. Three hundred 
feet down was an underground river, which Dashwood 
named the River Styx. The caves served as temple rooms, 
many of which were decorated with Tantric symbols. 
Supposedly, a secret passage led to the chamber of a girl 
nicknamed St. Agnes, who served as vestal virgin. There 
was a labyrinth as well. 

The author Hugh Walpole witnessed one of their sa- 
tanic rites performed covertly in the Sistine Chapel at the 
Vatican in Rome, which he described in his book Memoirs 
of the Reign of King George III: 


On Good Friday, each person who attends the Sistine 
Chapel takes a small scourge from an attendant at the 
door. The chapel is dimly lighted, only three candles, 
which are extinguished by the priest, one by one. At the 
putting out of the first, the penitents take off one part 
of their dress. At the next, still more, and in the dark 
which follows the extinguishing of the third candle, “lay 
on” their own shoulders with groans and lamentations. 
Sir Francis Dashwood, thinking this mere stage effect, 
entered with the others dressed in a large watchman’s 
coat, demurely took his scourge from the priest and 
advanced to the end of the chapel, where in the dark- 
ness ensuing he drew from beneath his coat an English 
horsewhip and flogged right and left quite down the 
Chapel—the congregation exclaiming “Il Diavolo! Il 
Diavolo!”—thinking the evil was upon them with a ven- 
geance. The consequence might have been serious had 
Dashwood not immediately fled the Papal dominions. 


Dashwood’s order lasted for about 35 years. 


FURTHER READING: 

Masters, Anthony. The Devils Dominion: The Complete Story 
of Hell and Satanism in the Modern World. London: Peter 
Fraser & Dunlop, 1978. 


Hemah_ Angel of wrath, fury, and destruction who gov- 
erns the death of domestic animals. According to Jewish 
lore, Hemah lives in the seventh heaven; he is 500 para- 
sangs tall and is made of chains of black and red fire. A 
parasang is a Persian unit of measurement used to 
describe the dimensions of the heavens and the distances 
between them, and the heights of angels. One parasang 
equals approximately 3.88 miles. 

In the Zohar, Hemah is one of three angels in Gehenna 
(see HELL)—along with Af and Mashit—who punish those 
who sin by idolatry, incest, and murder. Hemah swallows 
Moses with the help of his brother angel Af. God inter- 
venes and forces him to spit Moses out again. Moses then 
kills Hemah. 


hobgoblin See GOBLIN. 


horerczy See ALP. 


huli jing (fox fairy) In Chinese lore, a DEMON that is 
the malevolent spirit of the returning dead. The huli jing 
rises from its grave and shape-shifts into a seductive 
woman, scholar, or old man. It seduces victims and vam- 
pirizes the victims of the life force during orgasm. When 
the victim falls ill with tuberculosis, the huli jing leaves it 
for another victim. A female huli jing especially likes 
scholars for their virtuousness. 

The huli jing has other powers and abilities that make 
it one of the most feared of all demons in Chinese lore. It 
can shape shift into dead people, haunt places, and terrify 
the living. It can take on the appearance of living people. 
It can transport people through the air and enable them 
to pass through walls and closed windows. The huli jing 
is invisible during the day but can often be seen at night, 
especially lurking on the rooftops of homes. 

The huli jing is responsible for a form of possession that 
reduces a person to insanity. If madness affects generations 
of a family, that indicates that an ancestor once injured a 
huli jing. The huli jing is so feared that it is treated with 
great respect; above all, great care must be taken never to 
harm one. However, if one cuts off the tail, which holds its 
power, it will leave a home and never return. 

One remedy against the huli jing is to burn charms 
written on paper and mix the ashes into tea for drinking. 
If a female huli jing can be given enough wine to become 
drunk, it will revert to its true form and will vanish. 

See KITSUNE. 


FURTHER READING: 

Mack, Carol K., and Dinah Mack. A Field Guide to Demons, 
Fairies, Fallen Angels, and Other Subversive Spirits. New 
York: Henry Holt/Owl Books, 1998. 


Hyslop, Ames Hervey 115 


Hutriel An angel of punishment who lives in the fifth 
camp of HELL and helps to punish the 10 nations. The 
name Hutriel means “rod of God.” Hutriel is sometimes 
equated with Oniel. 


Hydriel DEMON and a wandering duke of the air. 
Hydriel has 100 great dukes and 200 lesser dukes and 
their servants beneath him. The 12 chief dukes each have 
1,320 servants. All the demons must be summoned 
according to their appropriate planetary hour. When they 
appear, each has the form of a SERPENT with a virgin’s 
head and face. Unlike the spirits of BURIEL, they are cour- 
teous and obedient. They prefer to be around water and 
moist places. The 12 major dukes of Hydriel are Morto- 
liel, Chamoriel, Pelariel, Musuziel, Lameniel, Barchiel, 
Samiel, Dusiriel, Camiel, Arbiel, Luciel, and Chariel. 


Hyslop, James Hervey (1854-1920) American philos- 
opher, psychologist, educator, and professor of ethics, 
whose interest in survival after death led him to conduct 
some of the finest studies of POSSESSION and OBSESSION. 

James Hervey Hyslop was born on August 18, 1854, 
to devout Presbyterians in Xenia, Ohio. His parents ex- 
pected him to enter the ministry, but instead he studied 
philosophy and the emerging field of psychology, receiv- 
ing a bachelor of arts in 1877 from Wooster College, 
Wooster, Ohio. Despite his religious upbringing, Hyslop 
professed skepticism about the divinity of Christ by the 
time he reached college and, after some study, decided to 
reject the New Testament. 

After graduation, Hyslop enrolled at the University of 
Leipzig, Germany, to study with Wilhelm Wundt, who 
founded the first formal psychology laboratory in 1879. In 
Leipzig, he met his wife-to-be, Mary F. Hall, a student of 
music from Philadelphia. Hyslop returned to the United 
States two years later, teaching first at Lake Forest Univer- 
sity, outside Chicago, then at Smith College in Northamp- 
ton, Massachusetts. He continued his own education at 
Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, completing a doc- 
torate in psychology in 1887, and published several books 
about logic, ethics, education, and philosophy. From 1889 
to 1902, he was professor of logic and ethics at Columbia 
University in New York City. As was typical of other edu- 
cated men of the period, Hyslop exhibited eclectic tastes, 
also exploring geology and biology. 

He knew nothing about the psychic until 1886, when 
an article on telepathy in Nation caught his attention. The 
article concerned a young boy who reportedly saw an ap- 
parition of his father and his team of horses going over a 
bank into a stream some 25 miles away. Hyslop suspected 
the story was “some illusion of memory or error in judg- 
ment as to the facts.” He wrote to the author of the article 
and received answers to his questions that convinced him 
the phenomenon might be genuine. 

At Columbia Hyslop, through his colleagues, became 
acquainted with the Society for Psychical Research (SPR) 


in England and the American Society for Psychical Re- 
search (ASPR) (founded in 1882 and 1885, respectively) 
and with the research concerning the British medium Le- 
onora Piper conducted by Richard Hodgson. In 1888, he 
began a series of sittings with Piper. Initially skeptical, 
he was astonished when Piper began relaying personal 
messages from his dead father and various relatives. By 
his 12th sitting, he was convinced he had communicated 
with the spirits of his family. 

In 1889, the ASPR became a branch of the SPR out of 
financial need and remained so until the death of Hodg- 
son in 1905. In 1906, the ASPR reorganized as an inde- 
pendent organization, and Hyslop became its president, a 
position he held until his death in 1920. 

Hyslop’s most famous case was the THOMPSON/GIF- 
FORD OBSESSION in 1907, in which a metalworker, Frederic 
L. Thompson, claimed to been taken over by a deceased 
painter, R. Swain Gifford. After the Thompson/Gifford 
case, Hyslop continued to work extensively with various 
mediums, principally Minnie Soule, and ran the opera- 
tions of the ASPR. He also wrote all the society’s papers, 
as well as magazine and journal articles. 

Casework fascinated Hyslop. He investigated the 
story of S. Henry, a coachman in New Jersey who was 
tormented by the death of his wife and his increasingly 
frightening psychical experiences. Henry described feel- 
ings of a strange fluid in his stomach, which forced him to 
breathe in a certain way, then rose to his brain and made 
him insane. He also wrote that he felt he could leave his 
body through an opening in the back of his head. Hyslop 
did not recognize Henry’s symptoms as those of kundalini 
and out-of-body experiences. By 1908, almost two years 
after Hyslop had first met him, Henry was suffering from 
delusions and had become insane. Hyslop took Henry 
to the ASPR in New York, where he hypnotized him and 
tried to encourage him to forget his troubles. The simple 
treatment worked. Never having confronted out-of-body 
experiences before, Hyslop attributed Henry’s problems 
to spirit possession. 

In 1909, Hyslop, met Etta De Camp, a medium cur- 
rently living in New York City who had been psychic since 
her childhood in Ohio. She was an editor and proofreader 
for Broadway magazine who had never written anything 
besides letters until 1908. After reading about spirit com- 
munications received by W. T. Stead through automatic 
writing, De Camp decided to try. She reported a tingling 
in her arm, like an electric shock, and after two or three 
days began writing copiously. 

De Camp experienced terrible headaches and earaches 
at this time, usually if she tried to resist the writing. She 
found some relief while in trance but refused to lose con- 
scious control. The scripts made little sense to her, and 
she complained to the spirits that if they could not write 
well, they should take someone to her who could. From 
that point on, the scripts became more coherent. Her first 
communicator was an Indian brave, who reported that he 


116 Hyslop, James Herwey 


would hear from a dead man, a writer who wanted some- 
one to finish the stories he left when he died. 

Soon, her pencil wrote that the spirit of Frank R. 
Stockton had arrived and wished to communicate. She 
felt intense pain, but once Stockton took control of her, 
the pain subsided. De Camp began writing short stories 
in Stockton’s style, and she showed them to her employer, 
George Duysters, who introduced her to Hyslop. 

Stockton had been popular in the late 19th century, 
writing whimsical stories for children. His most famous, 
“The Lady or the Tiger,” is still popular. He had a distinc- 
tive style, full of humor, cynicism, and bizarre situations. 
Duysters showed some of the De Camp transcriptions to 
the late author’s editor at Harper’s, who found them quite 
real. De Camp also began hearing from her dead father. 

De Camp continued to write in Stockton’s style, and 
Hyslop lost contact with her from 1910 to 1912 while he 
investigated other matters. In 1912, De Camp was near a 
complete breakdown, and Hyslop agreed to participate in 
sittings, which would finally reveal Stockton’s presence. 
Through a series of séances with Soule, both Stockton 
and the recently deceased Duysters revealed themselves, 
proving again to Hyslop the reality of spirit possession 
and survival. De Camp wrote of her experiences in The 
Return of Frank R. Stockton in 1913, including all of the 
transcribed Stockton stories. After initial publicity, De 
Camp later married and settled down to a private life, 
hearing no more from Stockton. 

A third case involved a woman identified as Ida Ritchie, 
really Ida Marie Rogers. Rogers claimed to be receiving 
communications from the great opera singer Emma Ab- 


bott, who had died in 1891. Rogers was a budding singer 
herself and had made remarkable progress for a person 
with little formal training. When she contacted Hyslop, 
Rogers said Emma Abbott, her mother, and the late Wil- 
liam James, a Harvard philosopher and psychologist and 
friend of Hyslop’s, were all talking to her through auto- 
matic writing. Again through sittings with Soule, Hyslop 
contacted Abbott and Rogers’ mother. Their communica- 
tion indicated great efforts by the spirits to help Rogers’ 
singing career, but she never became a great star. 

Hyslop’s last major case was the DORIS FISCHER OBSES- 
SION, begun in 1914. 

Hyslop reportedly believed his health had been threat- 
ened in 1919 by a spirit he was trying to exorcize through 
sessions in Boston with Soule, and he was ill for several 
months. He believed firmly that the existence of discar- 
nate spirits had been proved scientifically and dismissed 
those who did not agree. Hyslop suffered a stroke at the 
end of 1919 and died June 17, 1920. 


FURTHER READING: 

Anderson, Roger I., ed. “Autobiographical Fragment of James 
Hervey Hyslop.” Journal of Religion and Psychical Research 
9, no. 2 (April 1986): 81-92. 

, ed. “Autobiographical Fragment of James Hervey 

Hyslop Part III.” Journal of Religion and Psychical Research 

9, no. 3 July 1986): 145-160. 

. “The Life and Work of James H. Hyslop.” The Jour- 
nal of the American Society for Psychical Research 79 (April 
1985): 167-200. 

Rogo D. Scott. The Infinite Boundary. New York: Dodd, Mead, 
1987. 


Iblis In Islam, the DEVIL. Iblis is Arabian for “despair.” 
The exact origin and nature of Iblis are uncertain. His 
name is the primary name for the Devil; he is also 
described as the chief and father of the DJINN and an 
ANGEL. He can assume any form, but he is most fre- 
quently portrayed as a vain entity who has the head of 
an ass and is decorated with peacock feathers (see 
ADRAMELECH). 

Iblis is mentioned nine times in the Quran; seven of 
the references concern his fall from God’s grace. His other 
name, Shaytan, is used in context of his rebellion against 
God. 

Sura 18:50 in the Qur’an states that Iblis “was one of 
the djinn, and he broke the command his Lord.” Like 
other djinn, Iblis was created by God of smokeless fire. 
Suras 7:12 and 38:76 refer to his creation from fire. 

However, the Qur’an also indicates that Iblis was 
treated as an angel. When Allah created Adam, he ordered 
all the angels to bow down and worship him. Iblis was 
among those who refused, claiming that a being made of 
dust was beneath him, a being of fire. Allah cursed Iblis 
for his pride and expelled him from heaven. Iblis per- 
suaded Allah to delay further punishment until the Day 
of Judgment. God gave him the right to roam the earth, 
tempting people, and to destroy those who yield to temp- 
tation. He cannot compel people to sin but only lure them 
to make the choice. He is aided by the Shaytan, also the 
name of a type of djinn, who serves under him. 


Ultimately, Iblis is doomed to HELL along with the 
souls he corrupts. He haunts ruins and eats unblessed 
food until Judgment Day. 

Another tradition holds that Iblis was one of the origi- 
nal djinn, taken to heaven as a prisoner. He was made 
a judge of djinn, a job that he performed well for 1,000 
years and poorly for 1,000 years. He was then rehabili- 
tated but refused Allah’s command to worship Adam and 
was punished. 

In another legend, in a time before the creation of hu- 
mankind, Allah sent his angels down to Earth to destroy 
the djinn, who were rebelling against divine laws. The 
angels killed most of them and captured Iblis, whom they 
took up to heaven and educated. The remaining djinn 
formed a new nation. Iblis, who wanted power, left heaven 
to become their king. They called him AZAZEL. 

In the mystical tradition of the Sufis, Iblis refused to 
bow to Adam because he could only bow to God. Thus, 
Iblis represents the perfect lover, a model of loyalty and 
devotion who would rather be separated from God and 
God’s will than united with God against God’s will. 

Ina Ith-century Syrian legend, Iblis actually assisted 
in the creation of Adam by gathering sweet and salty mat- 
ter from the earth. 

Another story tells how Iblis tempted Eve. He suc- 
ceeded in smuggling himself into paradise by promising 
any animal who carried him in that he would bestow upon 
it three magical words that would guarantee immortality. 


118 Icosiel 


The SERPENT agreed and carried Iblis into paradise hidden 
in its mouth. Iblis spoke to Eve from within the mouth. 

Iblis is both male and female and can impregnate him- 
self. Everytime he celebrates humans’ rebelling against 
God, he lays two eggs that hatch as demons. 


FURTHER READING: 

Hyatt, Victoria, and Joseph W. Charles. The Book of Demons. 
New York: Simon & Schuster, 1974. 

Kelly, Henry Ansgar. A Biography of Satan. New York: Cam- 
bridge University Press, 2006. 

Mack, Carol K., and Dinah Mack. A Field Guide to Demons: 
Fairies, Fallen Angels, and Other Subversive Spirits. New 
York: Owl Books/Henry Holt, 1998. 

Russell, Jeffrey Burton. Lucifer: The Devil in the Middle Ages. 
Ithaca, N.Y., and London: Cornell University Press, 1984. 


Icosiel DEMON and a wandering duke of the air. Icosiel 
has 100 dukes, 300 companions, and many other ser- 
vants. His 15 chief dukes have 2,200 servants. He and his 
demons mainly appear in houses. They can be summoned 
day and night and will do as commanded. The 15 princi- 
pal dukes are Mchariel, Pischiel, Thanatiel, Zosiel, 
Agapiel, Larphiel, Amediet, Cambriet, Nathriel, Zacha- 
rtel, Athesiel, Cumariel, Munefiel, Heresiel, and Ubaniel. 


imp A small DEMON usually kept inside a bottle or 
ring. An imp is like a FAMILIAR and is comparable to the 
DJINN. It is evoked for magical purposes. Imps are both 
good and evil. 

As familiars, imps can take the shape of animals, in- 
cluding insects and birds, which are sent out on tasks 
at the command of a witch or magician. Witch hunters 
during the Inquisition accused witches of rewarding 
their imps for evil deeds by suckling them with their 
own BLOOD, which the imps sucked from fingers, warts, 
breasts, or any protuberance on the skin. 

In England the Lincoln Imp is a carved stone demon 
on a column in the Angel Choir at the cathedral in Lin- 
coln, constructed in the 12th century and once the tallest 
structure in the world. The grinning imp is in a seated 
position with one leg crossed over the other. 

There are different versions of the legend. One version 
tells in rhyme that one day the Devil was in good spirits 
and let his young demons out to play. One rode on the 
wind to Lindum (Lincoln) and ordered the wind to take 
him into the church, intending to wreak havoc there. The 
imp started breaking things in the Angel Choir and was 
turned to stone by angels in punishment. 

Another version says that in the 14th century, the Devil 
sent two imps out to make mischief. First, they went to 
Chesterfield and twisted the spire of the church there, 
and then they went to Lincoln Cathedral. They tripped 
the bishop and smashed tables and chairs and started to 
destroy the Angel Choir. An angel ordered them to stop. 
One of the imps defiantly flew up to a stone pillar and be- 
gan to throw heavy objects at the angel. The angel turned 


him into stone, leaving him there forever. The second imp 
hid in the wreckage and made his escape by latching on 
to the broomstick of a passing witch. The witch turned 
him into a black cat to become her familiar. 

The Lincoln Imp is associated with both good and bad 
luck. The imp has been used in jewelry and even worn 
by royalty. In 1928, the prince of Wales (the future King 
Edward VII) was given an imp tie pin. The next year, two 
of his horses won major races, the Grand National and 
the Epsom Derby. 


FURTHER READING: 
Kesson, H. J. The Legend of the Lincoln Imp. Lincoln, England: 
J. W. Ruddock & Sons, 1904. 


incantation bowl A terra-cotta bowl inscribed with 
CHARMs or magical texts, used to trap or drive away 
DEMONS. Incantation bowls also are known as Babylonian 
demon or DEVIL traps. 

The bowls, about the size of soup tureens, were in- 
verted and buried under the four corners of the founda- 
tions of houses and buildings to seal the cracks where 
demons could sneak in. Their magic was believed to pro- 
tect against an assortment of evils, including male and 
female demons, especially the attacks of LILITH and her 
offspring; illness; WITCHCRAFT; the CURSEs of sorcerers; 
and the EVIL EYE. The bowl either overturned or captured 
demons. 

Incantation bowls were common among the Baby- 
lonians and the Hebrews, who were held captive for a 
time in Babylonia. Their period of usage is uncertain but 
ranges at least from the second century to the seventh 
century. Almost all of the bowls that survive are inscribed 
in Aramaic; a few are inscribed in Persian. The charms 
are written in ink in a spiral from the rim to the center, 
and sometimes on the outside of the bowls as well. Some 
of the centers of bowls have a primitive drawing of a de- 
mon in chains. The charms specify protection of homes, 
families, and possessions. One bowl proclaims a “bill of 
divorce” from the Devil and all his night monsters, order- 
ing them to leave the community. 

Many of the inscriptions call upon powerful ANGELs 
or King SOLOMON and the power of the seal of his magi- 
cal ring. The name of the great angel Metatron appears 
often on incantation bowls in invocations for angelic 
help. Various titles given him are the Great Prince of the 
Whole World, Prince of the World, and Great Prince of 
God’s Throne. 

Some Jewish bowls refer to the Angel of Yahweh with 
this or similar inscriptions: “YYY the Great, the angel 
who has 11 names.” 

An example of a charm is the following: 


The demon NTY’, TTY QLY’. BTY’, Nuriel, Holy Rock. 
Sealed and countersealed and fortified are Ahat, the 
daughter of Imma; Rabbi, Malki and Dipshi, the sons 
of Ahat; and Yanai the daughter of Ahat, and Ahat the 


incubus 119 


daughter of Imma, and Atyona the son of Qarqoi, and 
Qarquoi the daughter of Shilta, and Shilta the daugh- 
ter of Immi—they are their houses and their children 
and their property are sealed with the seal-ring of El 
Shaddai, blessed be He, and with the seal ring of King 
Solomon, the son of David, who worked spells on male 
demons and female liliths. Sealed, countersealed and 
fortified against the male demon and female lilith and 
spell and curse and incantation and knocking and evil 
eye and evil black-arts, against the black-arts of mother 
and daughter, and against those of daughter-in-law and 
mother-in-law, and against those of the presumptuous 
woman, who darkens the eyes and blows away the 
soul, and against the evil black-arts, that are wrought 
by men, and against everything bad. In the name of 
the Lord. Lord, Hosts is His name, Amen, amen, selah. 
This charm is to thwart the demon Titinos. Sealed are 
the bodies (?) of S QL, the bodies (?) of S QL MYLY 
MYLY TYGL. 


Many bowls were inscribed against LILITH, one of the 
most feared demons of all. She is often the demon de- 
picted bound in chains in the center of the inscriptions. 
Inscriptions either cast her out or issue decrees of divorce 
from her. The first inscription that follows cites the use of 
IRON, a common means of weakening or binding spirits, 
especially evil ones: 


Bound is the bewitching Lilith with a peg of iron in her 
nose; bound is the bewitching Lilith with pinchers of 
iron in her mouth; bound is the bewitching Lilith ... 
with a chain or iron on her neck; bound is the bewitch- 
ing Lilith with fetters of iron on her hands; bound is the 
bewitching Lilith with stocks of stone on her feet. 


Thou Lilith of the desert, thou hag, thou ghoul. . . naked 
art thou sent forth, unclad, with hair disheveled, and 
streaming down your back. 


See RABISU. 


FURTHER READING: 

Barker, Margaret. The Great Angel: A Study of Israels Second 
God. Louisville, Ky.: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1992. 

Koltuv, Barbara Black. The Book of Lilith. Berwick, Me.: Nico- 
las-Hays, 1986. 

The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vols. 1 & 2. Edited by 
James H. Charlesworth. 1983. Reprint, New York: Dou- 
bleday, 1985. 


incubus A lewd male DEMON who pursues women for 
sex. In Hebrew mythology, the incubus and his female 
counterpart, the SUCCUBUS, visit women and men in their 
sleep, lie and press heavily upon them, and seduce them. 
They can be conjured by witches, sorcerers, and sha- 
mans. During the witch hysteria in Europe, incubi were 
believed to instruments of the DEVIL, tormenting people 
for the sole purpose of degrading their souls and pervert- 
ing them to more vices. Incubus attacks are reported in 
modern POSSESSION cases. 


Incubus is from the Latin word incubare, which means 
“to lie upon.” Victims usually feel a heavy weight on top 
of them that paralyzes them. Sometimes there is a sense 
of choking or suffocation. The Greeks referred to the phe- 
nomenon as ephialtes, or “the pouncer.” Another Greek 
term is pnigalion, or “suffocation.” Pliny called it “sup- 
pressions” or “nocturnal illusions.” 


The Incubus in Jewish Demonology 

The existence and activities of incubi are acknowledged 
in Jewish demonology in relation to a Midrashic legend of 
Adam’s siring demonic offspring. According to the kab- 
balistic text the Zohar, these unions are continued by 
men who unknowingly cohabit with spirits in their sleep. 
The hybrid human-demonic children have a demonic na- 
ture and rank high in the echelons of demons, occupying 
positions of authority and rulership. Thus, demons value 
intercourse with humans. 


The Incubus in the Early Christian Church 
According to some of the fathers of the church, among them 
St. Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, and Tertullian, as 
well as the Jewish historian Josephus and some Platonist 
philosophers, the incubi were the SONS OF GOD, angels 
who fell from heaven because they copulated with women. 
Their offspring were giants, the Nephilim, who could not 
have been the progeny of human men and women. 

St. Augustine included among incubi the pagan demi- 
gods sylvans and fauns, who were exceptionally lascivi- 
ous and often injured women in their lust, he said. 


The Incubus during the European Inquisition 

During the witch hunts, demonologists wrote handbooks 
on witches, the Devil, and demons. They described the 
appearances, behavior, and characteristics of incubi and 
remedies against them. 

Incubi are especially attracted to women with beauti- 
ful hair, young virgins, chaste widows, and all “devout” fe- 
males. Nuns are among the most vulnerable and could be 
molested in the confessional as well as in bed. While the 
majority of women are forced into sex by the incubi, some 
of them submit willingly and even enjoy the act. It once 
was a common belief that women were more likely than 
men to be the sexual victims of demons, because women 
were inferior to men and less able to resist temptation. 

Incubi have enormous phalluses that are so stiff they 
cause women great pain. According to the French demo- 
nologist NICHOLAS REMY, a woman accused as a witch in 
Haraucourt in 1586 described her demon’s penis as as 
long as a kitchen tool and without testicles or scrotum. 
Another accused witch, a woman named Didatia of Mire- 
mont, said at her trial in 1588 that she was “always so 
stretched by the huge, swollen member of her Demon that 
the sheets were drenched with blood.” Some incubus pe- 
nises were described as scaly, like the skin of a reptile. 

Incubi are not interested in procreation, only in de- 
grading sex. However, they have the ability to impregnate 
women. They do not possess their own semen; they col- 


120 incubus 


Incubus, from Francis Barretts The Magus (AUTHOR’S 
COLLECTION) 


lect it from men in nocturnal emissions, masturbation, 
or coitus while the demons are masquerading as succubi. 
The incubi have the power to preserve semen and use it 
later on one of their victims. Demonic semen is described 
as frigid and icy cold. 

The children that result may be considered the children 
of the man who unwittingly provided the semen. Some old 
horror stories held that the children were half-human and 
half-beast. Remy described monstrous half-demon chil- 
dren with two mouths, two heads, six fingers, two sets of 
teeth, beards, four eyes, three hands, and three feet. Oth- 
ers were missing limbs or had one eye in the middle of 
their forehead or in their knee. Some had no human form 
but were shapeless masses like sponges. Remy recounted 
an eyewitness description of an incubus child: 


It had a hooked beak, a long smooth neck, quivering 
eyes, a pointed tail, a strident voice, and very swift feet 
upon which it ran rapidly to and fro as if seeking for 
some hiding-place in its stable. 


Some of the offspring once were called Adamitici, as 
though they were descended in an unbroken line from 
Adam. Because of the defective semen, these infants cried 
or hissed continually, were emaciated but heavy, and 
sucked all their nurses dry. They also were attributed the 
superpowers of pagan demigods and heroes. 

Remy said monstrous births were due to the “lustful 
imagination of a prurient woman” and not to demon se- 


men. He cited Empedocles, who said that the likeness of 
a child is caused by impressions the mother experienced 
at the time of conception. If a woman had frequent inter- 
course with an incubus, it affected her imagination, which 
in turn gave the child a savage appearance. 

In a small number of witchcraft cases, claims of moles- 
tation by incubi were dismissed as the products of female 
melancholia or vivid imagination. False pregnancies that 
arose from this state were chalked up to flatulence. 

Witches were said to copulate willingly with incubi, 
especially at a SABBAT. The inquisitors’ handbook the 
MALLEUS MALEFICARUM (1487), stated that “in times long 
past the Incubus devils used to infest women against their 
wills,” but “modern witches ... willingly embrace this 
most foul and miserable servitude.” Some incubi served 
as FAMILIARs to witches, who sent them to torment spe- 
cific individuals. 

Since sex with incubi was expected of witches, many 
accused witches were tortured until they confessed this 
crime. In 1485, the inquisitor of Como sent 41 women to 
their deaths at the stake. Their “confessions” of sex with 
incubi, among other witchcraft crimes, were corroborated 
by eyewitness accounts, as well as by hearsay evidence 
“and the testimony of credible witnesses.” 

Incubi were believed to be always visible to witches 
but only occasionally visible to others, even the victims. 
There were reports of people observed in the throes of 
passion with no one but themselves visible. Husbands 
saw incubi as they copulated with their wives but thought 
they were other men. 

Incubi preyed on ordinary people as well as witches. 
FRANCSCO-MARIA GUAZZO related a story in Compendium 
Maleficarum (1608) about a beautiful noble girl who re- 
fused to marry men of her station but instead fell into an 
affair with an incubus. She freely told her parents of the 
marvelous sex they had at night and sometimes during 
the day. One night, the parents, a priest, and others bolted 
the house doors and went into their daughter’s bedroom 
with lit torches. There they found her in the embrace of 
a hideous demon, “a horrible monster whose appearance 
was terrible beyond human imagination.” The priest im- 
mediately began reciting the GOSPEL OF JOHN. When he 
said, “The Word was made flesh,” the demon shrieked, 
set fire to all the furniture, and left, carrying with him 
the roof of the bedroom. The girl immediately gave birth 
to a “loathsome monster.” The midwives built a large fire 
and burned it. 

The church prescribed five ways to get rid of incubi: 


e by sacramental confession 

e by making the sign of the cross 

e by reciting the Ave Maria 

e by moving to another house or town 

e by excommunication of the demon by holy men 


Other remedies included a recitation of the Lord’s 
Prayer and the sprinkling of holy water. 


Ipos 121 


Not all theologians and demonologists agreed that 
sex with demons was possible. St. Thomas Aquinas said 
that sex with a demon exceeds their natural powers but 
is in keeping with their malice and therefore might be 
permitted by God in accordance with the sins of a person. 
JOHANN WEYER dismissed incubi and succubi as “purely 
imaginary, the result of an impaired mind.” He also dis- 
missed as “bizarre fiction” the idea that incubi could im- 
pregnate a woman by borrowing a man’s semen in the 
guise of succubi. Such stories of demonic seduction were 
the products of “gullible historians,” he said. 

Montague Summers compiled quotations from earlier 
writings and countered in The History of Witchcraft and 
Demonology (1926) that “great Saints and scholars and all 
moral theologians of importance affirm the possibility of 
commerce with incarnate evil intelligences.” 

See SMURL HAUNTING. 


FURTHER READING: 

Guazzo, Francesco-Maria. Compendium Maleficarum. Secau- 
cus, N.J.: University Books, 1974. 

The Malleus Maleficarum of Heinrich Kramer and James 
Sprenger. New York: Dover, 1971. 

Remy, Nicholas. Demonolatry. Secaucus, N.J.: University 
Books, 1974. 

Summers, Montague. The History of Witchcraft and Demonol- 
ogy. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, 1926. 

Trachtenberg, Joshua. Jewish Magic and Superstition: A Study 
in Folk Religion. New York: Berhman’s Jewish Book 
House, 1939. 

Weyer, Johann. On Witchcraft (De praestigiis daemonum). 
Abridged. Edited by Benjamin G. Kohl and H. C. Erik 
Midelfort. Asheville, N.C.: Pegasus Press, 1998. 


infestation The presence of DEMONs in a place, object, 
or animal. Infestation occurs when demons are able to 
take up residence and create disturbances. It is a precur- 
sor to more serious demonic problems, such as OPPRES- 
SION and possession. 

The Bible does not make direct reference to EXORCISMS 
of demons from places or animals; however, demonic 
infestations were well known and accepted in ancient 
times. Origen, an early father of the church, wrote that 
the power of the name of JESUS could expel demons from 
places and animals as well as people. 

Infestation can happen as the result of a CURSE or 
magical spell or ritual, or by the actions of people living 
in a place. For example, the Catholic Church teaches that 
using spirit communication devices such as a OUJA™ 
board, dabbling in the occult, making a PACT with the 
DEVIL, or leading a sinful life can create the conditions for 
infestation. Curses and hexes can allow demons to con- 
taminate an object (see POSSESSED POSSESSIONS). 

Infesting demons create chaos and fear through pol- 
tergeistlike activity, the manifestation of shadowy fig- 
ures, and other paranormal phenomena. Victims may 
hear knocks on the door when no one is present. The 


knocks usually occur in threes (to mock the Trinity) or 
in sixes (double three). There are scratching sounds on 
doors or within walls, hot or cold spots, rooms that just 
feel “creepy,” sounds of baby animals in pain, whisper- 
ings, knocks that become pounding on the walls or roof, 
plumbing that does not turn off, appliances that go on or 
off without help, and levitation of small objects. 

Often such behaviors are attributed to ghosts or pol- 
tergeists, especially if there are teenagers in the home. 
Or they are dismissed out of hand as the products of 
an overactive imagination. Other mistakes made in this 
early stage include disbelief by friends, clergy, or family 
members, leaving the victim frustrated and confused, 
and turning to a medium or psychic to evaluate the phe- 
nomena, because the demonic can easily manipulate the 
mediums sensitivity. 

Sometimes infestations are more subtle, with demons 
maintaining a low profile in order to gain more oppres- 
sive influence over a victim. 

Infestations are cleared by minor rites of EXORCISM 
performed by clergy or trained laypersons. Severely in- 
fested objects are destroyed by burning while praying 
and then scattering the ashes in running water. Mildly 
infested objects can be exorcized with prayer and a sprin- 
kling of holy water. 


FURTHER READING: 

Amorth, Gabriele. An Exorcist: More Stories. San Francisco: 
Ignatius Press, 2002. 

Fortea, Fr. José Antonio. Interview with an Exorcist: An Insid- 
ers Look at the Devil, Diabolic Possession, and the Path to 
Deliverance. West Chester, Pa.: Ascension Press, 2006. 


International Association of Exorcists Roman Catho- 
lic organization of priests who perform EXORCISMs. The 
International Association of Exorcists was founded in 
1993 by FATHER GABRIELE AMORTH. 

At the first meeting in Rome in 1993, only six exorcists 
attended. Within a year, 80 exorcists had joined; interna- 
tional membership is now more than 500. Membership is 
exclusive; a priest must have the permission of his bishop 
to join. Meetings are held annually in secret. 

Father Giancarlo Gramolazzo is president; Amorth 
serves as honorary president. 

The exorcists blame in part the New Age as respon- 
sible for a rise in demonic POSSESSION, saying that New 
Age adherents do not believe in a personal God who re- 
veals himself but in an impersonal God identified with 
the material world. 


Ipos FALLEN ANGEL and 22nd of the 72 SPIRITS OF SOL- 
OMON. Ipos is an earl and prince who rules 36 LEGIONs of 
DEMONs. He appears as an angel with a lion’s head, goose 
feet, and a hare’s tail; JOHANN WEYER said he appears 
either as an ANGEL or as an evil and crafty lion. Ipos 
knows the past and future and imparts wisdom and cour- 
age. He makes men witty. 


122 iron 


iron Protection against evil, including DEMONs, vam- 
pires, witches and evil spirits, and FAIRIES. 

Iron repels the DJINN, and LILITH and other childbirth 
demons and their children. Iron scissors or small imple- 
ments are placed at beds to ward off demonic attacks. Iron 
objects placed in coffins and gravesites, and iron nails 
driven into coffins and graves, prevent vampires and rest- 
less ghosts from leaving their graves to attack the living. 


Isacaaron DEMON of temptations of the flesh, who 
played a prominent role in the LOUDUN POSSESSIONS in 
France in the 17th century. Isacaaron especially pos- 
sessed and plagued the mother superior, JEANNE DES 
ANGES, and was blamed for her false pregnancy. The 
demon jumped from Jeanne into one of her EXORCISTs, 
Father JEAN-JOSEPH SURIN. 


Itzpapalotl Aztec female DEMON and patroness of 
witches. The name Itzpapalotl means “obsidian knife 
butterfly.” She can wear a magic cloak that turns her into 
a butterfly. Sometimes she appears in a more demonic 
form, as a female with large butterfly wings edged with 
obsidian knives, a skull head covered in thick white 
makeup, a knife for a tongue, fingers with jaguar claws, 
and toes with eagle claws. 

Itzpapalotl once resided in heaven but fell along 
with the TZITZIMIME. As a demon, she took over the rul- 
ing of witches and presides over 13 unlucky signs of 
the calendar. On those days, she takes a horde of dead 
witches, who have shape shifted into butterflies and 
flies, through towns and forests, shrieking and scream- 
ing. In order to appease her and her horde, people sac- 
rifice deer. 


Jahi See DRUJ. 

James VI and I (1566-1625) King of both Scotland 
(as James VI) and England (as James I) and a persecutor 
of witches, whom he believed to be the servants of the 
DEVIL. His book, Daemonologie, broke no new ground in 
witch hunting but became a handbook for English demo- 
nologists. 

James was born in Scotland in 1566 to the violent 
world of Mary, Queen of Scots and her second husband 
and first cousin, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, who was 
a vicious and dissipated man. At the time of his concep- 
tion, Mary was having an affair with her Italian secre- 
tary, David Rizzio. Once, Henry attacked Rizzio in Mary’s 
presence in an apparent attempt to cause her to miscarry. 
Failing that, he and a group of his noblemen murdered 
Rizzio by hacking him with swords and knives and then 
heaving him off a balcony. 

Mary continued to have affairs and plotted her re- 
venge against Henry. In 1567, she tried to have him killed 
in a gunpowder explosion. The explosion did not do the 
job, for Henry was found later in the garden, dead of 
strangulation. 

No one was ever charged with the crime, but his death 
was rumored to been the result of a plot of the earl of 
Bothwell, who abducted Mary, raped and impregnated 
her (she miscarried twins), and then married her. The in- 
cident caused an uprising among Scots. Mary abdicated 


123 


the throne in favor of one-year-old James, who ruled un- 
der regents until 1583, when he began his personal rule 
as James VI. 

Mary later plotted to take the English throne from 
Elizabeth I, her father’s cousin. Elizabeth had her arrested 
on charges of treason, imprisoned, and then beheaded. 

This atmosphere of swirling murder, treason, plotting, 
and bloodshed was bound to have an impact on James. 
He took to wearing padded clothing at all times to protect 
himself against stabbing. 

When James took the Scottish throne in 1583, the 
Scottish clergy, pressured by rising public fears of witch- 
craft, demanded tougher enforcement of Scotland's witch- 
craft law, which had been enacted in 1563. James, who 
believed that witches were evil and posed a threat to God- 
fearing people, tolerated increasing witch hunts and even 
participated in some of the trials himself. 

James believed that witches tried to kill him on at 
least three occasions. In the North Berwick witch trials 
of 1590-92, confessions were made of an alleged plot by 
witches to murder him and his bride. In 1589, James had 
agreed to marry by proxy Anne of Denmark, a 15-year-old 
princess whom he had never met. That same year, she set 
sail for Scotland from Norway, but her ship was buffeted 
twice by terrible storms and nearly destroyed. It made 
port at Oslo, where the passengers where stranded for 
months. James sailed out to meet the ship. As storms con- 
tinued, he and Anne were forced to remain in Scandinavia 


124 Jeanne œs Anges 


until spring 1590. On their return to Scotland, they were 
buffeted by yet more storms but managed to make land 
safely. 

The North Berwick witches confessed to raising these 
storms. James, however, called them “extreme lyars,” un- 
til one of the accused convinced him of their supernor- 
mal powers by repeating to him the private conversation 
he had had with Anne on their wedding night. 

After the North Berwick trials, over which James su- 
pervised brutal tortures of the leader John Fian, James 
made a study of witchcraft in Europe and read the works 
of the leading demonologists. He was distressed by the 
arguments that Devil-worshipping witches and their SAB- 
BATs were all delusions. He was particularly incensed at 
the views expressed by REGINALD SCOT in The Discoverie 
of Witchcraft (1854) and by JOHANN WEYER in De Praesti- 
giis Daemonum (1563). 

Thus, James wrote his own response, Daemonologie, 
published in 1597. Daemonologie added no new informa- 
tion about beliefs about witches and increased the public 
hysteria over witches in Scotland. James affirmed that 
witches, who received their powers from the Devil, could 
raise storms, could cause illness and death by burning 
of waxen images, and were followers of “Diana and her 
wandering court.” He stated that the Devil appeared in 
the likeness of a dog, cat, ape, or other “such-like beast” 
and was always inventing new techniques for deceiving 
others. He defended swimming as a test for witches, in 
which the accused were bound and thrown into deep 
water (the innocent sank and usually drowned, and the 
guilty floated, whereupon they were executed). 

James believed in sexual acts with demons but did 
not believe in impregnation by an INCUBUS. That, he 
said, was a fabulous tale. He acknowledged that demons 
could make a woman appear falsely pregnant. The sex- 
ual aspects of the nightmare were a “natural sickness,” 
he said, caused by a thick phlegm upon the heart that 
made people imagine that a spirit was pressing down 
upon them. 

He believed in demonic POSSESSION but doubted the 
power of the church to cure it permanently. He noted the 
simplicity of JESUS’ instructions for EXORCISM: prayer, fast- 
ing, and expelling the demons in his name. 

James supported the widely held belief that more 
women than men were witches because women were in- 
herently weak and predisposed to evil. He accepted the 
execution of a witch as the therapeutic cure for the vic- 
tim. He even advocated the death penalty for clients of 
“cunning men.” He defined a witch as “a consulter with 
familiar spirits.” 

By 1597, the witch hysteria in Scotland had reached 
alarming proportions, and there was evidence that over- 
zealous witch hunters were indicting people on fraudulent 
evidence. To his credit, James revoked all indictments, 
and for the remaining years of his rule on the throne of 
Scotland, executions for witchcraft decreased. 


Upon the death of Elizabeth I in 1603, James took the 
English throne as James I. Daemonologie was reissued in 
London the same year. James also ordered that copies of 
Scot's Discoverie be burned. 

In 1604, a new Witchcraft Act was passed by Parlia- 
ment under pressure from the gentry. The new law stiff- 
ened penalties for witchcraft. Under Elizabethan law 
passed in 1563, WITCHCRAFT, enchantment, CHARMS, or 
SORCERY that caused bodily injury to people or damage to 
their goods and chattels was punishable by a year in jail 
with quarterly exposures in the pillory for the first of- 
fense and death for the second offense. A sentence of life 
in jail with quarterly pillory exposures was given for the 
divining of treasure and the causing of “unlawful” love 
and intentional hurt. Bewitching a person to death was a 
capital offense. 

The 1604 law punished crimes of witchcraft with 
death on the first offense instead of a year in jail or life in 
jail. In addition, the conjuring or evoking of DEMONs for 
any purpose whatsoever was made a capital offense. 

Passage of the law did not evoke a wave of witch 
hunts. The first trials of major importance did not oc- 
cur in England until 1612, trials at Lancaster that saw 10 
persons hanged and one pilloried. During James’ entire 
reign of 22 years, fewer than 40 persons were executed 
for the crime of witchcraft. James pardoned some accused 
witches because of the weak evidence against them and 
exposed a number of cases of fraudulent accusations of 
witches, including the “possession” of a boy in Leicester 
that sent nine victims to the gallows in 1616. James did 
not uncover the fraud until after the executions. Though 
he was sorely displeased with the judge and sergeant, he 
did not punish them. 

The Witchcraft Act of 1604 remained in force until 
1736, when it was repealed and replaced by a new law 
under George II. The 1604 law was used to prosecute the 
trials of the accused witches in Salem, Massachusetts, in 
1692. 

In his later years, James’ health declined as a result of 
arthritis, gout, and other diseases. He had a stroke, which 
severely weakened him, and soon afterward died, on 
March 27, 1625, while suffering from severe dysentery. 


FURTHER READING: 

King James I of England. Demonology. Edited by G. B. Har- 
rison. San Diego: Book Tree, 2002. 

Kittredge, George Lyman. Witchcraft in Old and New England. 
Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1929. 

Scot, Reginald. The Discoverie of Witchcraft. Yorkshire, 
England: E. P. Publishing, 1973; 1886 ed. 


Jeanne des Anges (1602-1665) Mother superior of 
the Ursuline convent in Poitiers, France, who became 
possessed with major DEMONs in the famous LOUDUN 
POSSESSIONS case. A mean and vindictive woman, Jeanne 
des Anges (Joan of the Angels) became the principal 
DEMONIAC in fraudulent possessions that led to the exe- 


Jeanne desAnges 125 


cution of an innocent priest, URBAIN GRANDIER. She 
ended her life near sainthood and wrote a vivid account 
of her experiences in her autobiography, which she mod- 
eled on the autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila. 

She was born Jeanne de Belciel in 1602 to a noble fam- 
ily. Her father was Louis de Belciel, baron de Coze, and 
her mother was Charlotte Goumart d’Eschillais. Jeanne 
evidently suffered tuberculosis early in life, which stunted 
her growth and left her with a hunchback. Because of her 
unattractiveness Jeanne developed a withdrawn and de- 
fensive personality. She automatically considered most 
people her enemies, and she was quick to mock others. 

Jeanne’s parents attempted to get rid of their disagree- 
able child at an early age by sending her to an aunt who 
was a prioress at a nearby abbey. After about three years, 
she was sent home. When she was old enough, she was 
sent to the Ursuline convent. She was careless in her du- 
ties and unpleasant in demeanor, but the nuns tolerated 
her because her family was wealthy. Suddenly, she under- 
went a marked change of personality and became docile 
and extremely devout. The prioress, who was retiring, 
decided to recommend Jeanne, at age 25, as her replace- 
ment. Jeanne retained the position of mother superior for 
all but three years from 1627 until her death in 1665. 

In her autobiography, Jeanne gave a much different 
and mocking account. She said she deliberately made her- 
self indispensable and used ingratiating behavior to gain 
her advantage. She also became adept at feigning states 
of ecstasy and rapture. Through her false spirituality, she 
sought to prove herself better than the other nuns. 

The nuns passed much of their time in gossip, and at 
the center of attention was the handsome curé of Lou- 
dun, Father Urbain Grandier, who was well known for his 
sexual exploits. At some point, Jeanne became sexually 
obsessed with him from afar, an obsession that grew for 
about five years. She wrote: 


When I did not see him, I burned with love for him and 
when he presented himself to me . . . I lacked the faith 
to combat the impure thoughts and movements that I 
felt. ... Never had the demons created such disorder 
in me. 


When the Ursulines’ director, Canon Moussant, died, 
Jeanne wasted no time in inviting Grandier to replace 
him. He declined, saying he was not worthy of the post, 
and besides, he was too busy with parish duties. Shocked 
and insulted, Jeanne became his enemy and began allying 
herself with a growing list of Grandier’s enemies in town. 
She appointed to her vacancy a cleric, Canon Mignon, 
who openly detested Grandier. 

Meanwhile, Jeanne regaled her nuns with stories of 
lurid dreams involving Grandier. She had already told of 
dreams in which the deceased Moussant returned from 
purgatory to ask for prayers. Now Moussant was trans- 
formed into Grandier, who caressed her, told her he loved 
her, and pressed her to have sex with him. These salacious 


stories found receptive ears, for some of the other nuns 
were also having sexual dreams about other clergymen. 

Shortly after Moussant’s death in 1632, the nuns 
said they saw shadowy forms of men, including Mous- 
sant and Grandier, moving about the convent at night. 
Canon Mignon did nothing to discourage the talk or the 
tales of sexual dreaming, which he began to reinforce by 
characterizing them as incubi sent by SATAN. Rather, he 
used these episodes as weapons against Grandier. He met 
with some of the curé’s enemies and conceived a plot in 
which Grandier could be accused of bewitching the nuns. 
The conspirators enlisted the aid of Carmelite EXORCISTs. 
Word spread through Loudun that the Ursuline nuns 
were plagued by demons, and the demons blamed every- 
thing on Grandier. 

At first, Grandier shrugged off the stories, confident 
no one would believe he had done those things to women 
he had never met. But Mignon persisted, and exorcisms 
went on for months. Jeanne complied, eager to take re- 
venge on Grandier for spurning her invitation to join the 
convent. 

Mignon’s next move was to call in new exorcists who 
had higher standing, and who firmly believed the Devil 
was at work: Pierre Rangier, the curé of Veniers, and 
M. Barre, the curé of Saint-Jacques. The exorcisms were 
made public, and townspeople poured into the convent to 
witness them. On October 6, 1632, in his third exorcism, 
Barre sent Jeanne into convulsions, in which she rolled 
on the floor, growled and howled, and ground her teeth. 
Seven devils claimed to have hold of her. The crowd was 
entertained. 

Two days later, Barre battled ASMODEUS, who said he 
was residing in Jeanne’s belly. It took the curé two hours to 
expel the demon, who finally parted after Jeanne, pinned 
down to her bed, was administered an enema of a quart of 
holy water. Jeanne later claimed that she was so confused 
that she barely knew what was happening to her. 

Although Mignon and Barre assured her that she was 
infested with demons, Jeanne privately doubted that she 
could be, according to her autobiography, since she had 
entered into no demonic PACT. She became angry when 
people talked to her about being possessed and felt that 
if demons were influencing her, they were quite subtle 
about it. Nonetheless, she performed as a demoniac dur- 
ing the public exorcisms. Most of the educated people 
who witnessed the exorcisms did not believe the nuns 
were genuinely possessed, and physicians believed their 
conditions had natural causes. The most gullible wit- 
nesses were uneducated Catholics. 

Mignon lent her his book on the Marseilles Posses- 
sions and the death of Father Louis Gaufridi in the AIx-EN- 
PROVENCE POSSESSIONS, which may have influenced Jeanne 
and spurred her on in her performances as a demoniac. 
She allowed herself to believe she was indeed possessed. 

Jeanne wrote later in her autobiography that when 
her possession started, she was plunged into “continual 


126 Jeanne œs Anges 


disturbance of mind” for almost three months. She was 
in constant “rages and fits of madness” and could hardly 
remember what happened to her. She excused her per- 
formances as a weakness of mind and spirit that made 
her susceptible to suggestion—although she clung to the 
claim that the suggestion had been from “the demon”: 


In most cases I saw quite clearly that I was the prime 
cause of my turmoil and that the demon only acted 
according to the openings I gave him. 

When I spoke of that to my exorcists, they told me 
it was the demon who gave me those feelings in order 
to hide within me, or to cast me into a little despair at 
seeing myself in so much malignancy. I was not the more 
satisfied for that, for although I submitted to believing 
what they were telling me at the time, nevertheless my 
conscience, which was my judge, gave me no peace. 
Thus all their assurances blinded me. I think the fact 
is that it was difficult for them to believe that I was so 
wicked, and that they believed the devils were giving me 
these scruples. 

To make myself better understood, I must give a few 
examples, both in important things and light matters, so 
that those who may read this will know how necessary it 
is that souls beleaguered by demons should hold firmly 
to God and greatly beware of themselves. 

It so happened, to my great embarrassment, that dur- 
ing the first days when Father Lactance was given to me 
to be my director and exorcist, I disapproved of his way 
of conducting many small matters, although it was a 
very good way; but it was because I was wicked. 

One day he undertook to have us all take commu- 
nion at our grille. 

At that time, since we were for the most part sorely 
afflicted with the inner turmoil and great convulsions, 
for the reception of the Eucharist the priest would either 
come into our chancel or have us go out to take com- 
munion in the church. I was angry that he wanted to 
introduce a different practice. I began to murmur about 
in my heart, and thought within myself that he would do 
better to follow the way of the other priests. 

As I dwelled negligently on that thought, it entered 
my mind that, to humiliate that father, the demon would 
have committed some irreverence toward the Very Holy 
Sacrament. I was so miserable that I did not resist that 
thought strongly enough. When I went to take commu- 
nion, the devil seized my head, and after I had received 
the holy host and had half moistened it, the devil threw 
it into the priest’s face. I know perfectly well that I did 
not perform that act freely, but I am very sure, to my 
great embarrassment, that I gave the devil occasion to do 
it, and that he would not have had this power had I not 
allied myself with him. 


When she took communion, the demon within her 
forced her to fling the wafer in the face of the priest. Her 
mind was filled with blasphemies, which she uttered 
without control. She hated God and the spectacle of his 
goodness and looked for ways to displease him. 


The demon, she said: 


Beclouded me in such a way that I hardly distinguished 
his desires from mine; he gave me, moreover, a strong 
aversion for my religious calling, so that sometimes 
when he was in my head I tore all my veils and such 
of my sisters’ as I could lay hands on; I trampled them 
underfoot, I chewed them, cursing the hour when I took 
the vows. All this was done with great violence, I think I 
was not free. 


The exorcists invited two magistrates to witness the 
possessions for themselves, and they did. Jeanne went 
into violent contortions and grunted like a pig. Mignon 
stuck two fingers in her mouth and performed exorcisms. 
The demons in her revealed that she was indeed under 
the influence of two diabolical pacts: one made of three 
hawthorn prickles and one a bunch of roses that she 
found on the convent stairs and stuck into her belt. Sup- 
posedly, Grandier had tossed the roses over the convent 
wall. Upon “accepting” the roses, Jeanne was bewitched 
with obsessive love for Grandier that interfered with her 
ability to think of anything else. 

Mignon, pleased at this performance, suggested to 
the magistrates that this case bore all the hallmarks of 
a similar case 20 years earlier, the Aix-en-Provence pos- 
sessions of Ursuline nuns that resulted in the execution 
by burning of Father Louis Gaufridi, for his alleged de- 
monic pact. 

The chief magistrate, M. de Cerisay, believed the case 
to be one of natural sickness and fraud, and he attempted 
to stop the exorcisms. But Mignon persuaded the bishop 
to order them to continue. Legal jockeying ensued, with 
Grandier seeking a restraining order and the exorcisms 
continuing, albeit in private. Mignon reinforced daily 
to the nuns that they had been bewitched by Grandier. 
Eventually the archbishop intervened and sent his per- 
sonal physician to investigate. Scared, the nuns dropped 
their possession fits. 

The cessation of the fits caused supporters of the nuns 
to turn against them, for now it appeared that they were 
indeed playing out a deception. Even friends and families 
deserted them, and they fell on hard times financially. 

In autumn 1633, King Louis XIII’s commissioner, 
Baron Jean de Martin Laubardemont, investigated and fa- 
vored putting Grandier on trial. Grandier was advised by 
friends to flee, but he remained in town, confident that 
his innocence would allow him to prevail. 

Grandier was accused of SORCERY and of consorting 
with the Devil and his demons and witches at SABBATs. At 
his preliminary hearings, all of the witnesses who had re- 
canted their testimonies in 1630 came forward and swore 
that they had in fact told the truth. Grandier’s defense was 
not allowed; his mother protested with petitions against 
the illegal hearings, and her petitions were destroyed. She 
appealed to the Parlement of Paris, but the king barred 
the parlement from becoming involved in the case. 


Jeanne desAnges 127 


Beelzebub, the principal demon possessing Jeanne des Anges (© 
RICHARD COOK) 


At the hearings, the nuns screamed and screeched 
at Grandier, claiming his specter roamed the convent at 
night seducing them. The prosecution produced “pacts” 
that appeared mysteriously in the nuns’ cells or were 
allegedly vomited up by them. One pact was a piece of 
paper stained with three drops of BLOOD and containing 
eight orange seeds. Another was a bundle of five straws 
and another was a package containing worms, cinders, 
and hair and nail clippings. On June 17, while possessed 
by LEVIATHAN, Jeanne vomited up a pact containing—ac- 
cording to her possessing demons—a piece of the heart 
of a child who had been sacrificed in 1631 at a witches’ 
sabbat near Orléans, the ashes of a eucharist, and some of 
Grandier’s blood and semen. 

Countering these shocking spectacles was the nuns’ ob- 
vious lack of command of previously unlearned foreign lan- 
guages, a test of demoniacs. Jeanne displayed little knowl- 
edge of Latin and made poor attempts to speak it. Some of 
the other possessed nuns did not even try to understand 
or speak Latin, Hebrew, or Greek. Often, the nuns resorted 
to howling and contorting to avoid answering questions. 
Other times, they claimed that the pacts they had with 
Grandier forbade them to speak in certain languages. 


The nuns also failed the test for clairvoyance. And 
they claimed that Grandier’s magical books were kept in 
the home of one of his mistresses—but none were found 
there. 

After the death of Grandier, the nuns fell into states 
of remorse and guilt, but they were subjected to continu- 
ing exorcisms before crowds. They performed as if they 
were circus animals. In December 1634, four new Jesuit 
exorcists arrived, including Father JEAN-JOSEPH SURIN, to 
whom Jeanne took an immediate dislike. Whenever ap- 
proached by him, she went into fits, howled, stuck out her 
tongue, and ran away. She laughed and mocked him, and 
her jokes seemed to energize one of the demons, BALAAM, 
who urged her to continue and thus undermine the prog- 
ress made by Surin. The priest wrote: 


I saw that this spirit was wholly opposed to the serious- 
ness with which one ought to take the things of God, 
and that it fostered in her a certain glee which destroys 
the compunction of heart indispensable to a perfect con- 
versation with God. I saw that in a single hour of this 
kind of jocularity was enough to ruin everything I had 
built up in the course of many days, and I induced in her 
a strong desire to rid herself of this enemy. 


Jeanne diverted attention with a false pregnancy. She 
claimed ISACAARON began tempting her anew; she said 
“he performed an operation upon my body, the strangest 
and most furious that could be imagined; thereafter he 
persuaded me that I was great with child, in such sort 
that I firmly believed the fact and exhibited all signs.” 

Jeanne’s belly became greatly distended and she 
stopped menstruating. She vomited frequently and se- 
creted milk from her breasts. She was in a state of extreme 
agitation nearly constantly and only experienced relief 
when Isacaaron visited her nightly and sexually assaulted 
her. Refusals resulted in beatings. 

Jeanne considered trying to abort herself with herbs 
and drugs but abandoned the idea. She considered cutting 
the baby out of her womb with a knife but could not carry 
out the deed. Isacaaron once offered her a magic plaster 
that would terminate the pregnancy, but she refused it. 

A physician pronounced her pregnancy to be genu- 
ine, but Isacaaron, speaking at an exorcism, claimed it 
was all deception created by the demons in Jeanne. She 
threw up a large quantity of blood and the pregnancy 
symptoms vanished. For Jeanne and Surin, a miracle had 
taken place. 

Surin persisted in trying to rid Jeanne of devils, if not 
by exorcisms alone, then by spiritual instruction that 
would elevate her soul. He offered to take on her demons 
himself and soon became obsessed, and then possessed. 

Jeanne continued to revile and resist Surin and then 
suddenly had a turnabout. She decided she wanted to 
become a saint; in fact, she wanted to imitate St. Teresa 
of Avila. She increased her prayer time and took on se- 
vere austerities: a hair shirt, a bed of boards, wormwood 
poured onto her food, and a belt spiked with nails. She 


128 Jeanne œs Anges 


beat herself up to seven hours a day. Surin, a great be- 
liever in discipline, encouraged her. 

Jeanne became more receptive to Surin, and by sum- 
mer 1635, they were meeting privately in the convent’s 
attic, where he expounded on mystical theology and they 
prayed together. These private sessions raised gossip in 
Loudun, which the two ignored. 

Whenever Jeanne objected to the mortifications pre- 
scribed by Surin, which were private instead of public, 
she let the demons out to howl and complain. Surin or- 
dered the demons to whip themselves—and they did, 
making Jeanne scream. 

In February 1635, Isacaaron announced that three 
anonymous magicians had three consecrated wafers, 
which they intended to burn. Surin ordered Isacaaron to 
fetch the wafers. At first, the demon refused and then re- 
lented. The three wafers mysteriously appeared in a niche 
at the convent. The feat appeared to be a miracle. 

Surin had transformed himself from exorcist to 
Jeanne’s spiritual director, displeasing the Jesuit authori- 
ties. In October 1635, he was ordered to return to Bor- 
deaux and be replaced by another exorcist. Distressed, 
Jeanne fell ill for several days and then asked to be ex- 
orcized. On November 5, in front of a large crowd, Surin 
expelled Leviathan from her and was allowed to stay on 
at the convent. 

A bloody cross appeared on her forehead and remained 
for three weeks. Then Balaam announced he was ready to 
go and would write his name on Jeanne’s left hand when 
he did so. Jeanne prayed mightily that the demon would 
inscribe the name of St. Joseph, not his own. The demon 
departed on November 29, leaving Jeanne marked with 
the name Joseph. Surin viewed this as an extraordinary 
grace from God. Others believed it to be the product of 
autosuggestion. But the crowds saw her as a saint. Later, 
the names of Jesus, Mary, and St. Francis de Sales were 
added to her arm. The names would fade after a few weeks 
and then be renewed by Jeanne’s good angel. 

Isacaaron left Jeanne on January 7, 1636. Surin took 
on BEHEMOTH, but 10 months went by with no progress. 
In October, he broke down and was recalled to Bordeaux. 
He was replaced by Father Resses. 

As she had with Surin, Jeanne resisted Resses, but he 
forced exorcisms on her anyway. She fell ill and vomited 
blood. Her condition deteriorated and extreme unction 
was given. She had a vision in which God told her she 
would be taken to the point of death but would not die. 
She reached a point where doctors felt she had only hours 
to live, and then she had a vision of her good angel in the 
form of a beautiful youth, followed by St. Joseph, who 
anointed her with oil, and she miraculously recovered. 
Later, she revealed her chemise had an oil stain of five 
drops. She probably faked the evidence, but it took on the 
status of a relic. 

Behemoth announced that he would not depart with- 
out Jeanne’s making a pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Fran- 


cis of Sales at Annency, accompanied by Surin. The priest 
was recalled to Loudun in June to comply. He and a com- 
panion, Father Thomas, accompanied Jeanne on part of 
her pilgrimage, and then Surin’s job with her was done. 

Jeanne’s five-month pilgrimage was a triumphal march 
through France in 1638. She visited major cities, includ- 
ing Paris, Lyon, Orléans, Grenoble, Blois, and Annency. 
Tens of thousands turned out to see her and view her rel- 
ics, the names on her arm, and the stained shirt. At An- 
nency, a possessed girl was cured by touching the stained 
shirt. 

Jeanne had audiences with royalty, including Queen 
Anne, wife of Louis XIII; archbishops; and the dying Car- 
dinal Richelieu (who privately thought the Loudun affair 
was a fraud). Her stained chemise was used as a blanket 
in the birth of Louis XIV. Everywhere she went, she was 
hailed and admired. 

On October 15, Behemoth kept his end of the bargain 
and departed from Jeanne, and Surin returned again to 
Bordeaux. 

After the pilgrimage, Jeanne returned to the Loudun 
convent, never to leave it again. She was bored and hun- 
gry for the limelight, but now there were no devils and no 
miracles to use to gain attention. She fell seriously ill and 
miraculously recovered, but this time the “miracle” was 
barely noticed. 

A few times, the demons reappeared, to beat her and 
harass her. Jeanne, however, was more interested in pro- 
ducing heavenly miracles than engaging in fights with 
the infernal. She claimed her heart split in two and was 
marked invisibly with the instruments of the Passion. 
Souls in purgatory appeared to her and spoke. Increas- 
ingly, she developed a relationship with her guardian an- 
gel and prayed for “true lights” to be revealed to her. Her 
angel complied, dispensing even personal advice to visi- 
tors of the most petty nature. 

Jeanne began to write her autobiography in 1644. Her 
account of events reveals a personality self-absorbed and 
unconcerned about the consequences of her actions. She 
made little reference to the unfortunate Grandier, even 
though at the height of the drama, she had confessed her 
guilt and remorse at framing him with lies. Rather, she 
saw her life as a spiritual quest, in which she had allowed 
demons to act against her as a consequence of her own 
defective will. Twice during the depths of her spiritual 
darkness, she had tried to commit suicide. 

For years, she wrote to Surin, but she received no re- 
ply until 1657, when he resumed serving as her spiritual 
director until his death in 1665. She enjoyed a correspon- 
dence and close friendship with him, confessing the state 
of her soul, still seeking to be the center of attention to 
the end of her life. 

By 1662, her “miracles” were at an end. Despite her 
saintliness, she was still the object of criticism and was 
called a witch and magician even in the last years of her 
life. 


Jesus 129 


Jeanne died in January 1665. Her head was cut off and 
placed in a silver and gold reliquary. The stained chemise 
was already in its own reliquary. These relics were the 
objects of popular devotion. 

The convent commissioned an artist to paint a huge 
image of the expulsion of Behemoth. In the center, Jeanne 
knelt before Surin, Tranquille, and a Carmelite, a look of 
ecstasy on her face. Royalty and commoners looked on. 
A radiant St. Joseph, accompanied by cherubim, floated 
overhead with three thunderbolts intended for the de- 
mons leaving Jeanne’s mouth. 

The painting hung in the chapel for more than 80 
years, when a bishop ordered it removed. The nuns 
hid the painting by covering it with another one. In 
1772, the convent was suppressed. The painting, che- 
mise, and mummified head were sent into hiding and 
disappeared. 


FURTHER READING: 

Certeau, Michel de. The Possession at Loudun. Translated by 
Michael B. Smith. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 
2000. 

Ferber, Sarah. Demonic Possession and Exorcism in Early Mod- 
ern France. London: Routledge, 2004. 

Huxley, Aldous. The Devils of Loudun. New York: Harper and 
Brothers, 1952. 


Jesus The fight against evil, the DEVIL, and DEMONS are 
central in the life and purpose of Christianity’s Son of 
God. “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy 
the devil’s work,” affirms 1 John 3:8. Accounts in the 
New Testament tell of Jesus’ ability to overcome evil 
forces and to cast out demons afflicting people. 


Baptism and Temptation in the Desert 

Jesus’ BAPTISM by John the Baptist marked the beginning 
of his ministry. Shortly after that, he spent 40 days in the 
wilderness, where he was tempted by SATAN. He fasted for 
40 days and 40 nights. Then Satan appeared and ordered 
him to turn stones into loaves of bread to prove that he 
was the Son of God. Jesus answered, “It is written, ‘Man 
shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that pro- 
ceeds from the mouth of God’” (Mt. 4:4). 

The Devil then took him to the holy city Jerusalem) 
and set him on the pinnacle of the temple. He told Jesus to 
throw himself down and demonstrate that God’s ANGELS 
would protect him. Jesus answered, “Again it is written, 
‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God’” (Mt 4:6). 

Finally, Satan tried a third time to tempt Jesus. He 
took him to a high mountain, where they could see all the 
kingdoms of the world. “All this I will give you, if you will 
fall down and worship me,” said the Devil (Mt. 4:9). Jesus 
rejected him, answering, “Begone, Satan! for it is written, 
‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall 
you serve” (Mt. 4:10). 

Satan departed, and angels appeared to minister to 
Jesus. 


The offer of glory in exchange for worship implies 
a PACT with the Devil, a concept that more than 1,000 
years later weighed heavily in the WITCHCRAFT trials of 
the Inquisition. 


Casting Out of Demons 

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke refer to many 
instances when Jesus “cast out demons” or “unclean spir- 
its.” Such acts are differentiated from healing diseases 
or defects. Some of the descriptions of the EXORCISMs 
hint that epilepsy or seizures may have been responsible 
for what were assumed at the time to be the effects of 
demons. 

The term exorcize is from the Greek word exousia, 
meaning to “put under oath and command,” invoking a 
higher authority to force compliance. To exorcize, then, 
is to adjure (in Latin, adjuro) the spirits to depart in the 
name of God. As such, Jesus was not technically an EXOR- 
CIST, for he needed no higher authority. 

The first instance of Jesus’ casting out demons oc- 
curred after his return from the wilderness. Jesus began 
selecting his disciples and went into Capernaum to teach. 
Both Mark (1:23-27) and Luke (4:33-36) tell the story; 
the text appears in the Authorized (King James) Version 
translation in Mark: 


And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean 
spirit; and he cried out, saying, “Let us alone; what have 
we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou 
come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy 
One of God.” And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Hold thy 
peace, and come out of him.” And when the unclean 
spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came 
out of him. And they were all amazed, insomuch that 
they questioned among themselves saying, “What thing 
is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority 
commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do 
obey him.” 


The man’s POSSESSION and exorcism follow the tra- 
ditional pattern. First, the demon recognized Christ. 
Second, the spirit’s departure caused great pain to the 
possessed, coupled with loud voices and cries. Third, the 
demon ultimately yielded to Jesus’ higher power. 

Jesus’ method of simple command over the demons 
differed greatly from that practiced by other holy men 
of his time. Most exorcists of the period relied on ritual, 
chants, signs, and artifacts to expel evil spirits. Jesus used 
only his word as the source of ultimate power. Not long 
after the episode in Capernaum, Mark and Luke describe 
Jesus’ healing the sick and casting out more demons in 
Galilee (Mark 1:32-34, as follow; Luke 4:38—41): 


That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who 
were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city 
was gathered together about the door. And he healed 
many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out 
many demons; and he would not permit the demons to 
speak, because they knew him. 


130 Jesus 


After naming his 12 disciples—to whom he gave the 
power to cast out demons also—Jesus returned home, 
welcomed by great crowds of the faithful and curious. 
Some of his friends believed he was temporarily insane, 
and some of the Jewish scribes considered him possessed 
by BEELZUBUB. Matthew (12:24-29), Mark (3:22-27, as fol- 
lows), and Luke (11:14—22) recount the incident: 


And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, 
“He is possessed by Beelzebul, and by the prince of 
demons he casts out the demons.” And he called them to 
him, and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast 
out Satan? If a kingdom be divided against itself, that 
kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against 
itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan 
has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot 
stand but is coming to an end. But no man can enter into 
a strong man’s house, and plunder his goods, unless he 
first binds the strong man; then indeed he may plunder 
his house.” 


The name Beelzebub, or “Lord of the Flies,” is a dis- 
tortion of Baal-zebul, referring to the chief Canaanite or 
Phoenician god, meaning “lord of the divine abode” or 
“lord of the heavens.” In the prophet Elijah’s day, the god 
Baal was the main rival to the Israelite god Yahweh (Je- 
hovah), and his name would represent Satan to the Jews 
(1 Kings 18; 2 Kings 1:3). This incident also presents the 
idea of binding Satan to the will of God before he can be 
thrown out of the “house,” or the body of the possessed 
victim. 

The episode most often told about Jesus’ casting out 
demons concerns the Gerasene or Gadarene demoniac, 
according to Mark (5:1-13) and Luke (26-33), and the 
two demoniacs in Matthew (8:28-32). Although identi- 
fied differently, the story is the same. After delivering the 
Sermon on the Mount, Jesus and his disciples traveled 
by boat to the country of the Gerasenes, or Gadarenes. 
There they met a man possessed of an unclean spirit, as 
told in Mark: 


And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into 
the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come 
out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the 
tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwell- 
ing among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, 
not with chains: Because that he had been often bound 
with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked 
asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces; neither 
could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he 
was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cut- 
ting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, 
he ran and worshipped him, And cried with a loud voice, 
and said, “What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son 
of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou 
torment me not.” For he said unto him, “Come out of 
the man, thou unclean spirit.” And he asked him, “What 
is thy name?” And he answered, saying, “My name is 
Legion: for we are many.” And he besought him much 


that he would not send them away out of the country. 
Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great 
herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought him, 
saying, “Send us into the swine, that we may enter into 
them.” And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the 
unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine and 
the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, 
(they were about two thousand;) and were choked in 
the sea. 


As did other possessed souls, the Gerasene demoniac 
suffered great physical pain and spiritual anguish. He 
ran to Jesus for help, but the demon within denied Jesus’ 
power and adjured Jesus not to cast him out. Another im- 
portant part of this story is the naming of the demon, 
a vital point in the exorcism ritual. A legion is a major 
unit in the Roman army (who were considered demons 
by many) consisting of 4,000—6,000 men. An estimate of 
2,000 may be low. Finally, however, the demons could 
not stand up to Jesus any longer and begged to enter the 
herd of swine. Because pigs were already deemed unclean 
animals in Jewish law, the choice was appropriate. People 
in Jesus’ day believed that demons hated water, so when 
the pigs drowned, the demons were destroyed. 

Jesus continued to cast out demons during his min- 
istry, even cleansing the unclean spirit from the daugh- 
ter of a Gentile woman who accepted him as the messiah 
(Mark 7:25-30, which follows; Mt. 15:21-28). 


But immediately a woman, whose little daughter was 
possessed by an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came 
and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Greek, a 
Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the 
demon out of her daughter. And he said to her, “Let the 
children first be fed, for it is not right to take the chil- 
dren’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” But she answered 
him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the 
children’s crumbs.” And he said to her, “For this saying 
you may go to your way; the demon has left your daugh- 
ter.” And she went home, and found the child lying in 
bed, and the demon gone. 


Such acts were crowd pleasers, and the disciples told 
Jesus of an exorcist who claimed to cast out demons in his 
name (Luke 9:49-50): 


John answered, “Master, we saw a man casting out 
demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he 
does not follow with us.” But Jesus said to him, “Do not 
forbid him; for he that is not against you is for you.” 


Later, 70 other followers, sent out as disciples but not 
specifically given the power to exorcise, found they were 
also able to cast out demons. Jesus reminded them that 
the joy was not that they were able to exorcise, but that 
God had found them worthy (Luke 10:17-20): 


The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the 
demons are subject to us in your name!” and he said 
unto them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 


John Bosco 131 


Jesus exorcizing demons from a young man (AUTHOR'S 
COLLECTION) 


Behold, I gave given you authority to tread upon serpents 
and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and 
nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in 
this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that 
your names are written in heaven.” 


After Jesus’ death, the power of his name grew, and 
exorcists used it to quell demons. However, the name of 
Jesus was not always a guarantee of success, as demon- 
strated in Acts 19:13-16: 


Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook 
to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus over those who 
had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom 
Paul preaches.” Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named 
Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, 
“Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” And 
the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped upon them, 
mastered all of them, and overpowered them, so that 
they fled out of the house naked and wounded. 


This example shows the dangers of exorcism to the 
exorcist. It also drove home the power of Jesus’ name, 
influencing some to burn their books of “magical arts.” 

These stories in the Gospels provided proof to medi- 
eval thinkers that Satan not only was real, but took pos- 
session of innocent souls at will. If not only Jesus Christ 
but his disciples—even those not specifically chosen but 


only devoutly faithful—were able to cast out demons, 
then holy men of the Church everywhere had the same 
power to exorcise in the name of the Lord. 


John Bosco (1815-1888) Saint and founder of the 
Society of St. Francis De Sales, known as the Salesians. 
John Bosco was known as the “Dreaming Saint” because 
of his frequent lucid dreams, more like out-of-body trav- 
els, in which he encountered angels, JESUS, Mary, and 
other religious figures and journeyed to heaven and HELL. 
His visit to hell was particularly detailed, and he used 
this and other lucid dream experiences to teach his stu- 
dents religious lessons. At the request of Pope Pius IX, 
he kept detailed records of his dreams. 

Bosco was born in Becchi, Piedmont, Italy, to a peas- 
ant farmer family. His father died when he was two, and 
he was raised by his mother. He had his first lucid dream 
when he was about nine years old, in which a man, pos- 
sibly Jesus, and a woman, possibly Mary, revealed his life 
purpose and destiny. He dedicated himself to his spiritual 
work with great and unwavering seriousness. His lucid 
dreaming increased in frequency as he grew older. 

At age 16, he began studying for the priesthood and 
was ordained on June 5, 1841, at age 26. He went to Turin 
and enrolled at the Convitto Ecclesiastico, a theological 
college that trained young priests for the pastoral life. He 
began a Sunday catechism for poor boys and soon was 
taking in and housing them. He constructed a church, 
placing it under the patronage of his favorite saint, Fran- 
cis de Sales. By 1856, he had 150 resident boys, plus four 
workshops and some 500 children in oratories. This be- 
came the Society of St. Francis de Sales in 1859. John died 
on January 31, 1888, and was canonized in 1934 by Pope 
Pius XI. The Salesians work around the world. 


Dreams 

John’s unusual dream life attracted the interest of Pope 
Pius IX, who instructed him to record his dreams. More 
than 150 of John’s unusual dreams were collected and re- 
corded by his followers. Many of the dreams were pro- 
phetic and concerned his boys and the Salesian order. 
Other dreams were in harmony with his religious train- 
ing and beliefs, couched in symbols of his religious life, 
and concerned the need to follow Catholic doctrine in or- 
der to attain salvation. 

John’s lucid dreams were quite long and involved 
much specific detail. Unlike most ordinary dreams, they 
were logical and followed a complete story line from be- 
ginning to end. He was usually accompanied by a guide 
figure, either an angel, St. Francis de Sales, St. Dominic 
Savio, or a mysterious man he referred to as “the man 
with the cap.” The dreams seemed more like real expe- 
riences than dreams. His sensory impressions were so 
strong that sometimes he would clap his hands or touch 
himself in the dream to try to ascertain whether he was 
dreaming or was awake. This is a technique used today by 
lucid dreamers to verify that their experience is real. 


132 John Bosco 


Sometimes physical phenomena followed him out 
of the dream and into waking consciousness. He would 
awaken exhausted. In one dramatic dream where he was 
shown the horrors of hell, the putrid smell of evil re- 
mained after he awakened. This bleed-through between 
worlds is characteristic of shamanic journeys and belongs 
to Carl G. Jung’s “psychoid unconscious,” a level in the 
unconscious that is not accessible to consciousness, but 
that has properties in common with the physical world. 


Visit to Hell 

Among the many dreams recorded by John, one of his lon- 
gest and most vivid concerns a frightfully realistic visit to 
the bowels of hell. John is accompanied by “the man with 
the cap.” John sometimes protested in his dream and tried 
to resist the guide, but he could not put off whatever busi- 
ness was intended for him in the night. 

As with all of John’s lucid dreams, this one follows a 
religious theme, conforms to Catholic doctrine, and pro- 
vides John with guidance and instructions for running 
his oratory program for boys. The visit to hell took place 
over two nights: 


No sooner had I fallen asleep than I dreamed that I saw 
a most loathsome toad, huge as an ox, enter my room 
and squat at the foot of my bed. I stared breathlessly as 
its legs, body and head swelled and grew more and more 
repugnant; its green body, fiery eyes, red-lined mouth 
and throat, and small bony ears presented a terrifying 
sight. Staring wildly, I kept muttering to myself: “But 
a toad has no ears.” I also noticed two horns jutting 
from its snout and two greenish wings sprouting from its 
sides. Its legs looked like those of a lion, and its long tail 
ended in a forked tip. 

At the moment, I seemed not a bit afraid; but when 
that monster began edging closer to me, opening its 
huge, tooth-studded jaws, I really became terribly fright- 
ened. I thought it was a demon from Hell, because it 
looked like one. I made the Sign of the Cross, but noth- 
ing happened. I rang the bell, but no one responded. I 
shouted, but in vain. The monster would not retreat. 
“What do you want of me, you ugly devil?” I asked. As 
if in answer, it just crept forward, ears fully stretched 
out and pointing upward. Then, resting its front paws 
on the top of the bedstead and raising itself on its hind 
legs, it paused momentarily, looked at me and crawled 
forward on by bed until its snout was close to my face. 
I felt such revulsion that I tried to jump out of bed, but 
just then the monster opened its jaws wide. I wanted to 
defend myself and shove the monster back, but it was 
so hideous that, even in my predicament, I did not dare 
to touch it. I screamed and frenziedly reached behind 
me for the small holy water font, but I only hit the wall. 
Meanwhile, the monstrous toad had managed to mouth 
my head, so that half of my body was inside its foul jaws. 
“In the name of God,” I shouted, “why are you doing 
this to me?” At these words, the toad drew back and 
let my head free. Again, I made the Sign of the Cross, 
and since I had now dipped my hand in the holy water 


font, I flung a few drops of water at the monster. With a 
frightening shriek it fell backward and vanished, while a 
mysterious voice from on high clearly said: “Why don't 
you tell them?” 

I turned in that direction and saw a distinguished 
person standing by my bed. Feeling guilty about my 
silence, I asked: “What should I tell my boys?” 

“What you have seen and heard in your last dreams 
and what you have wanted to know and what you shall 
have revealed to you tomorrow night!” He then vanished. 

I spent the whole next day worrying about the miser- 
able night in store for me, and when evening came, loath 
to go to bed, I sat at my desk browsing through books 
until midnight. The mere thought of having more night- 
mares thoroughly scared me. However, with great effort, 
I finally went to bed. 

Lest I should fall asleep immediately and start dream- 
ing, I set my pillow upright against the headboard and 
practically sat up, but soon in my exhaustion I simply fell 
asleep. Immediately the same person of the night [“the 
man with the cap.”] before appeared at my bedside. 

“Get up and follow me!” he said. 

“For heaven's sake,” I protested, “leave me alone. I am 
exhausted! I’ve been tormented by a toothache for several 
days now and need rest. Besides, nightmares have com- 
pletely worn me out.” I said this because this man’s appa- 
rition always means trouble, fatigue and terror for me. 

“Get up,” he repeated. “You have no time to lose.” 

I complied and followed him. “Where are you taking 
me?” I asked. 

“Never mind. You'll see.” 


John is led to a lifeless desert, vast in expanse. He 
and his guide trudge across it. A road appears, beautiful, 
wide, and neatly paved. Flowers and greenery grow along 
the sides. The road begins to slope downward. Suddenly, 
John notices that boys from the oratory are following him. 
Without warning, one by another falls to the ground and 
is dragged toward a drop in the distance, which slopes 
into a furnace. The guide explains that the boys fall be- 
cause they are ensnared in traps—traps they have made 
themselves out of sin. The boys who are stricter in their 
religious observances are able to walk without becoming 
ensnared. 

As they continue along the downward-sloping road, 
the scenery changes. The lush roses and flowers give way 
to hedges of thorns. The road becomes gutted and filled 
with boulders. Most of the boys leave to follow other 
paths. 

The descent becomes so arduous that John falls re- 
peatedly and finally he complains to the guide that he 
cannot go another step. The guide merely continues on. 
John realizes he has no choice but to follow. 


We continued our descent, the road now becoming so 
frightfully steep that it was almost impossible to stand 
erect. And then, at the bottom of this precipice, at the 
entrance of a dark valley, an enormous building loomed 
into sight, its towering portal, tightly locked, facing our 


John Bosco 133 


road. When I finally got to the bottom, I became smoth- 
ered by a suffocating heat, while a greasy, green-tinted 
smoke lit by flashes of scarlet flames rose from behind 
those enormous walls which loomed higher than 
mountains. 

“Where are we? What is this?” I asked my guide. 

“Read the inscription on that portal and you will 
know.” 

I looked up and read these words: Ubi non est redemp- 
tion—“The place of no reprieve.” I realized that we were 
at the gates of Hell. The guide led me all around this 
horrible place. At regular distances, bronze portals like 
the first overlooked precipitous descents; on each was an 
inscription, such as: Discedite, maledicti, in ignem aeter- 
num qui paratus est diabolo et angelis eius—“Depart from 
Me, you cursed into everlasting fire which was prepared 
for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41). Omnis arbor 
quae non facit fructum bonum excidetur et in ignem mitte- 
tur—“Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut 
down and thrown into the fire” (Matt. 7:19). 

I tried to copy them into my notebook, but my guide 
restrained me: “There is no need. You have them all in 
Holy Scripture. You even have some of them inscribed in 
your porticoes.” 

At such a sight I wanted to turn back and return to 
the Oratory. As a matter of fact, I did start back, but 
my guide ignored my attempt. After trudging through a 
steep, never-ending ravine, we again came to the foot of 
the precipice facing the first portal. Suddenly the guide 
turned to me. Upset and startled, he motioned to me to 
step aside. “Look!” he said. 


John is startled to see one of his boys dashing down 
the road out of control. He has a wild look about him, and 
his arms windmill as though he’s trying to resist a great 
force. John wants to help him, but the guide restrains 
him. The boy is fleeing from God’s wrath. He tumbles into 
a ravine and hits a bronze portal at the bottom. 


As the boy crashed into the portal, it sprang open with a 
roar, and instantly a thousand inner portals opened with 
a deafening clamor as if struck by a body that had been 
propelled by an invisible, most violent, irresistible gale. 
As these bronze doors—one behind the other, though 
at a considerable distance from each other—remained 
momentarily open, I saw far into the distance something 
like furnace jaws spouting fiery balls the moment the 
youth hurtled into it. As swiftly as they had opened, the 
portals then clanged shut again. 


Many more boys, screaming in terror, follow. They are 
all swallowed through the portal. Is there no way to save 
them? John asks. The guide replies that they have their 
rules and sacraments—let them observe them. 

The guide then instructs John to enter the portal, say- 
ing he will learn much. John shrinks back in horror. Then 
he realizes that he is in no danger, for he cannot be con- 
demned to hell without being judged, and he has not yet 
been judged. John agrees to go forward. 


We entered that narrow, horrible corridor and whizzed 
through it with lightning speed. Threatening inscriptions 
shone eerily over all the inner gateways. The last one 
opened into a vast, grim courtyard with a large, unbe- 
lievably forbidding entrance at the far end. John pauses 
to read various biblical verses about the certain tortures 
of hell for the wicked.] “From here on,” [the guide] 
said, “No one may have a helpful companion, a comfort- 
ing friend, a loving heart, a compassionate glance, or a 
benevolent word. All that is gone forever. Do you just 
want to see or would you rather experience these things 
yourself?” 

“I only want to see!” I answered. 

“Then come with me,” my friend added, and, taking 
me in tow, he stepped through that gate into a corridor at 
whose far end stood an observation platform, closed by 
a huge, single crystal pane reaching from the pavement 
to the ceiling. As soon as I crossed its threshold, I felt 
an indescribable terror and dared not take another step. 
Ahead of me I could see something like an immense 
cave, which gradually disappeared into recesses sunk far 
into the bowels of the mountains. They were all ablaze, 
but theirs was not an earthly fire, with leaping tongues 
of flames. The entire cave—walls, ceiling, floor, iron, 
stones, wood, and coal—everything was a glowing white 
at temperatures of thousands of degrees. Yet the fire did 
not incinerate, did not consume. I simply cannot find 
words to describe the cavern’s horror. Praeparata est enim 
ab heri Thopeth, a rege praeparata, profunda et dilatata. 
Nutrimenta eius, ignis et ligna multa; flatus Domini sicut 
torrens sulphuris succendens eam—“For in Topheth there 
has been prepared beforehand ... a pit deep and wide 
with straw and wood in plenty. The breath of Yahweh, 
like a stream of brimstone, will set fire to it” (Is. 30:33). 

I was staring in bewilderment around me when a lad 
dashed out of a gate. Seemingly unaware of anything 
else, he emitted a most shrilling scream, like one who 
is about to fall into a cauldron of liquid bronze, and 
plummeted into the center of the cave; instantly, he too 
became incandescent and perfectly motionless, while the 
echo of his dying wail lingered for an instant more. . . . 

As I looked again, another boy came hurtling down 
into the cave at break-neck speed. He too was from the 
oratory. As he fell, so he remained. He too emitted one 
single heartrending shriek that blended with the last 
echo of the scream that had come from the youth who 
had preceded him. Other boys kept hurtling in the same 
way in increasing numbers, all screaming the same way 
and then all becoming equally motionless and incandes- 
cent. I noticed that the first seemed frozen to the spot, 
one hand and one foot raised into the air; the second boy 
seemed bent almost double to the floor. Others stood or 
hung in various other positions, balancing themselves 
on one foot or hand, sitting or lying on their backs or on 
their sides, standing or kneeling, hands clutching their 
hair. Briefly, the scene resembled a large statuary group 
of youngsters cast into ever more painful postures. Other 
lads hurtled into that same furnace. Some I knew; others 
were strangers to me. I then recalled what is written in 


134 John Bosco 


the Bible to the effect that as one falls into Hell, so he 
shall forever remain. Lignum, in quocumque loco ceciderit, 
ibi erit—“Where the tree falls, there it shall lie” (Eccles. 
13:3). 

More frightened than ever, I asked my guide: “When 
these boys come dashing into this cave, don’t they know 
where they are going?” 

“They surely do. They have been warned a thousand 
times, but they still choose to rush into the fire, because 
they do not detest sin and are loath to forsake it. Fur- 
thermore, they despise and reject God's incessant, mer- 
ciful invitations to do penance. Thus provoked, Divine 
Justice harries them, hounds them, and goads them on, 
so that they cannot halt until they reach this place.” 

“Oh, how miserable these unfortunate boys must feel 
in knowing they no longer have any hope,” I exclaimed. 

“If you really want to know their innermost frenzy 
and fury, go a little closer,” my guide remarked. 

I took a few steps forward and saw that many of 
those poor wretches were savagely striking at each other 
like mad dogs. Others were clawing their own faces and 
hands, tearing their own flesh and spitefully throwing 
it about. Just then the entire ceiling of the cave became 
as transparent as crystal and revealed a patch of Heaven 
and their radiant companions safe for all eternity. 

“Why do I hear no sound?” I asked my guide. 

“Go closer!” he advised. 

Pressing my ear to the crystal window, I heard 
screams and sobs, blasphemes and imprecations against 
the Saints. It was a tumult of voices and cries, shrill and 
confused... . 

“Such are the mournful chants which shall echo here 
throughout eternity. But their shouts, their efforts and 
their cries are all in vain. Omnis dolor irruet super eos!— 
‘All evil will fall upon them’” (Job 20:22). 

“Here time is no more. Here is only eternity.”. . . 

He led me away and we went down through a cor- 
ridor into a lower cavern, at whose entrance I read: Ver- 
mis eorum non morietur, et ignis non extinguetur—‘Their 
worm shall not die and their fire shall not be quenched” 
(Is. 66:24). Dabit Dominus omnipotens ignem et vermes 
in carnes eorum ut urantur et sentiant usque in sempiter- 
num—“He will give fire and worms into their flesh, that 
they may feel for ever” (Judith 16:21). 

Here one could see how atrocious was the remorse of 
those who had been pupils in our schools. What a tor- 
ment was theirs to remember each unforgiven sin and 
its just punishment, the countless, even extraordinary 
means they had to mend their ways, persevere in vir- 
tue and earn Paradise, and their lack of response to the 
many favors promised and bestowed by the Virgin Mary. 
What a torture to think that they could have been saved 
so easily, yet now are irredeemably lost, and to remember 
the many good resolutions made and never kept. Hell is 
indeed paved with good intentions! 

In the lower cavern, I again saw those Oratory boys 
who had fallen into the fiery furnace. Some are listening 
to me right now; others are former pupils or even strang- 
ers to me. I drew closer to them and noticed that they 


were all covered with worms and vermin, which gnawed 
at their vitals, hearts, eyes, hands, legs and entire bod- 
ies so ferociously as to defy description. Helpless and 
motionless, they were a prey to every kind of torment. 
Hoping I might be able to speak with them or to hear 
something from them, I drew even closer, but no one 
spoke or even looked at me. I then asked my guide why, 
and he explained that the damned are totally deprived of 
freedom. Each must fully endure his own punishment, 
with absolutely no reprieve whatsoever. 

“And now,” he added, “you too must enter that 
cavern.” 

“Oh no!” I objected in terror. “Before going to Hell, 
one has to be judged. I have not been judged yet, and so 
I will not go to Hell!” 

“Listen,” he said, “What would you rather do: visit 
Hell and save your boys, or stay outside and leave them 
in agony?” 

For a moment I was struck speechless. “Of course, I 
love my boys and wish to save them all,” I replied, “but 
isn't there some other way out?” 

“Yes, there is a way,” he went on, “provided you do 
all you can.” 


John and the guide then have a long conversation 
about what makes a good confession, and about the need 
to cultivate the virtues and obedience to the church. The 
guide tells John which boys are guilty of what crimes. 
He gives permission to John to discuss anything of the 
dream with the boys. John thanks him and asks to leave. 


Encouragingly, he took my hand and held me up because 
I could hardly stand on my feet. Leaving that hall, in 
no time at all we retraced our steps through that hor- 
rible courtyard and the long corridor. But as soon as we 
stepped across the last bronze portal, he turned to me 
and said, “Now that you have seen what others suffer, 
you too must experience a touch of Hell.” 

“No, no!” I cried in terror. 

He insisted, but I kept refusing. 

“Do not be afraid,” he told me; “just try it. Touch this 
wall.” 

I could not muster enough courage and tried to get 
away, but he held me back. “Try it,” he insisted. Grip- 
ping my arm firmly, he pulled me to the wall. “Only one 
touch,” he commanded, “so that you may say you have 
both seen and touched the walls of eternal suffering and 
that you may understand what the last wall must be like 
if the first to so unendurable. Look at this wall!” 

I did intently. It seemed incredibly thick. “There are 
a thousand walls between this and the real fire of Hell,” 
my guide continued. “A thousand walls encompass it, 
each a thousand measures thick and equally distant from 
the next one. Each measure is a thousand miles. This 
wall therefore is millions and millions of miles from 
Hell’s real fire. It is just a remote rim of Hell itself.” 

When he said this, I instinctively pulled back, but he 
seized my hand, forced it open, and pressed it against the 
first of the thousand walls. The sensation was so utterly 


Jonah 135 


excruciating that I leaped back with a scream and found 
myself sitting up in bed. When I got up this morning 
I noticed that it was swollen. Having my hand pressed 
against the wall, though only in a dream, felt so real that, 
later, the skin of my palm peeled off. 


The dream so upset John that for several nights he 
had difficulty falling asleep. As vivid as his description 
is, John assured others that he gave them only a watered- 
down, abbreviated version of what really transpired in 
the dream. “Bear in mind that I have not tried to frighten 
you very much, and so I have not described these things 
in all their horror as I saw them and as they impressed 
me,” he said. “We know that the Lord always portrayed 
Hell in symbols, because, had He described it as it really 
is, we would not have understood Him. No mortal can 
comprehend these things. The Lord knows them and He 
reveals them to whomever He wills.” 


FURTHER READING: 
Forty Dreams of St. John. Rockford, Ill.: TAN Books and Pub- 
lishers, 1996. 


Johnson, Carl Leonard (1954— ); Johnson, Keith 
Edward (1954— ); Johnson, Sandra Ann Hutchings 
(1963— ) Paranormal investigators, especially of 
cases involving demonic activity. Carl and Keith Johnson 
(identical twin brothers) have worked as demonologists 
with paranormal investigators and have appeared on 
reality television shows featuring demonic cases. Keith 
and Sandra Johnson (husband and wife) founded the 
New England Anomalies Research organization. 

Keith and Carl were born on December 9, 1954, in 
Providence, Rhode Island, and grew up in North Scitu- 
ate, Rhode Island. The Johnson family was the first to oc- 
cupy the new house in North Scituate. Family members, 
including the children, soon experienced paranormal 
phenomena, such as disembodied voices and knockings 
at the walls and windows. Once, water in a glass held by 
the boys’ mother suddenly vanished with a loud “slurp- 
ing” sound. By the time Keith and Carl were five, the 
sounds of animated human conversation could be heard 
outside their bedroom window. Although the conversa- 
tion sounded close enough to be clearly heard, no specific 
words could be distinguished. This and other odd experi- 
ences led the boys to become intensely interested in spirit 
phenomena at an early age. 

While in school in Scituate, Carl and Keith began seri- 
ous study of the paranormal, including ghosts, ANGELs, 


DEMONS, and other inhuman spirits. Carl was especially 
interested in the demonic and the darker side of both hu- 
man and spirit nature. He began concentrating on the 
works of ALEISTER CROWLEY and Anton Szandor LaVey 
(see SATANISM), among others. 

When Carl and Keith were 17, they attended a lecture 
at Rhode Island College given by ED AND LORRAINE WAR- 
REN. They struck up a lifelong friendship with the famed 
paranormal investigators and demonologists. This meet- 
ing, especially with Ed, was a turning point for Keith, 
inspiring him to pursue the field of demonology. 

The two participated in paranormal investigations 
with Rhode Island groups and worked occasionally with 
the Warrens, assisting in an EXORCISM. 

Sandra Ann Hutchings was born in Warwick, Rhode 
Island, on May 17, 1963. She was the seventh child of a 
seventh child, a birth order that in folklore indicates su- 
pernatural powers such as psychic abilities. She attended 
high school in Warwick and received her college degree 
in human services in Warwick as well. Sandra also be- 
came actively involved in local theater in Warwick, where 
she met Keith. They married in 1991 and live in Warwick 
with their son, Keith Edward Johnson, Jr. 

In the 1990s, Carl also moved to Warwick. They be- 
came involved for a time with The Atlantic Paranormal 
Research Society, whose members have starred in a popu- 
lar reality television show, Ghost Hunters. In 2004, Keith 
and Sandra branched off to found their own group, New 
England Anomalies Research, which Carl joined. They 
have worked with lay demonologists such as JOHN ZAFFIS 
and ADAM BLAI and have appeared on other reality shows 
besides Ghost Hunters. 

Keith and Sandra teach classes and lecture on the 
paranormal, specializing in inhuman hauntings. They 
host a weekly television talk show, Ghosts R NEAR, aired 
in New England. Carl serves as alternate cohost. 

The Johnsons estimate that approximately 15 percent 
of hauntings involve nonhuman entities. Such cases have 
been on the rise since about the 1990s. One significant 
factor is the overall rise in global tensions and feelings of 
insecurity and vulnerability, due in part to terrorism and 
the World Trade Center attacks in 2001. 


FURTHER READING: 
Near England Anomalies Research Web site. URL: http:// 
www.nearparanormal.com. 


Jonah See LEVIATHAN. 


aN 


& 


Kabbalah (Cabala, Kabala, Qabalah) The mysticism 
of classical Judaism, and part of the foundation of the 
Western magical tradition. 

Kabbalah is derived from the Hebrew word QBL (Qi- 
bel), meaning “to receive” or “that which is received.” It 
refers especially to a secret oral tradition handed down 
from teacher to pupil. The term Kabbalah was first used 
in the llth century by Ibn Gabirol, a Spanish philoso- 
pher, and has since become applied to all Jewish mystical 
practice. The Kabbalah is founded on the Torah, but it is 
not an intellectual or ascetic discipline. It is a means for 
achieving union with God while maintaining an active 
life in the mundane world. 


Branches of the Kabbalah 
There are four main, overlapping branches of the 
Kabbalah: 


l. The Classical, or Dogmatic, Kabbalah concerns 
the study of the Torah and the central texts of the 
Kabbalah, such as the Sefer Yetzirah and the Sefer 
Zohar (see later discussion). 

. The Practical Kabbalah concerns MAGIC, such as the 

proper ways to make TALISMANs and AMULETs, and 

lore about ANGELs and DEMONs. 

The Literal Kabbalah concerns the relationship 

between the letters of the Hebrew alphabet and 

numbers. It features the deciphering of relation- 

ships and correspondences through gematria, a 

system for determining the numerical values of 


136 


words and names; the finding of acronyms through 
notarikon, in which the first letters of words are 
used to make new words; and an encryption sys- 
tem called temurah, in which letters are transposed 
into code. Temurah plays a role in interpreting the 
Torah and in making talismans. 

The Unwritten Kabbalah concerns the study of the 
Tree of Life (discussed later). 


Of the four branches, the Practical Kabbalah, Literal 
Kabbalah, and Unwritten Kabbalah are the most important 
to the Western mystery tradition. Joined with Hermetic 
principles and philosophy, these parts of the Kabbalah 
create a philosophical, mystical, and magical system for 
the practice of ceremonial magic. This system, sometimes 
called the “Western Kabbalah” or “Western Qabalah,” also 
plays a role in practical magic for the casting of spells. 


History of the Kabbalah 
According to lore, God taught what became the Kab- 
balah to ANGELS. After the Fall, angels taught the knowl- 
edge to Adam in order to provide humans a way back to 
God. The knowledge was passed to Noah, then to Abra- 
ham and Moses, who in turn initiated 70 elders. Kings 
David and SOLOMON were initiates. Influenced by Gnos- 
ticism and Neoplatonism, the oral tradition was passed 
on into the tradition and literature of the Merkabah 
mystics (ca. 100 B.c.E.-1000 C.E.). 

Merkabah means “God’s Throne-Chariot” and refers to 
the chariot of Ezekiel’s vision. The goal of the Merkabah 


Kabbalah 137 


mystic was to enter the throne world and perceive God 
sitting upon his throne. The throne world was reached 
after passing through seven heavens while in an ecstatic 
trance state. The passage of the mystic was dangerous, 
impeded by hostile angels. Talismans, SEALs, the sacred 
names of angels, and incantations were required to navi- 
gate through the obstacles. 

The historical origin of the true Kabbalah centers on 
the Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Creation), attributed to Rabbi 
Akiba, whom the Romans martyred. The book’s exact 
date of origin is unknown. It was in use in the 10th cen- 
tury, but it may have been authored as early as the third 
century. 

The Sefer Yetzirah presents a discussion on cosmology 
and cosmogony and sets forth the central structure of the 
Kabbalah. It also is reputed to contain the formula for 
creation of a golem, an artificial human. 

In 917, a form of practical kabbalism was introduced 
by Aaron ben Samuel in Italy; it later spread through Ger- 
many and became known as German kabbalism or Early 
Hasidim. It drew upon the Merkabah practices, in that it 
was ecstatic, had magic rituals, and had as primary tech- 
niques prayer, contemplation, and meditation. The magi- 
cal power of words and names assumed great importance 
and gave rise to the techniques of gematria, notarikon, 
and temurah. 

The Classical Kabbalah was born in the 13th cen- 
tury in Provence, France, and moved into Spain, where 
it was developed most extensively by medieval Spanish 
Jews. The primary work from which Classical Kabbalah 
developed is the Sefer Zohar (Book of Splendor), attrib- 
uted to a second-century sage, Rabbi Simeon bar Yohai, 
but actually written between 1280 and 1286 by the Span- 
ish kabbalist Moses de Leon. According to lore, the book 
comprises the teachings given to Rabbi Simeon by divine 
revelation. 

The teachings of the Zohar became known as the 
Spanish Kabbalah and spread into Europe in the 14th and 
15th centuries. After the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 
1492, Kabbalah study became more public. Isaac Luria 
Ashkenazi (1534-72), called the Ari Luria, a student of 
the great kabbalist Moses Cordovero (1522-70), con- 
ceived of bold new theories, which gave the Kabbalah a 
new terminology and complex new symbolism. Luria em- 
phasized letter combinations as a medium for meditation 
and mystical prayer. 

In the 14th century, a Practical Kabbalah developed, 
involving magical techniques for making amulets and tal- 
ismans and for invoking spirits. The Practical Kabbalah is 
complex and features the use of magical alphabets, secret 
codes of communication with angels. 

The Hasidic movement emerged from the Lurianic 
Kabbalah and made Kabbalah accessible to the masses. 
The Hasidim are the only major branch of modern Ju- 
daism to follow mystical practices. Interest in the Kab- 
balah among Jews declined after the 18th century. The 


reconstructionist movement, founded in 1922 by Rabbi 
Mordecai M. Kaplan, borrows from Hasidic traditions 
and espouses a more mystical Judaism. Interest in Kab- 
balah enjoyed a cross-cultural renewal that began in the 
late 20th century as part of a broad interest in esoteric 
subjects. 

Western occult interest in the Kabbalah grew first 
out of German kabbalism and then Lurianic kabbalism. 
Christian occultists were attracted to the magical amu- 
lets, incantations, demonology, angelology, seals, and 
letter permutations, and they used these as the basis for 
ritual magical texts (see GRIMOIRES). The Tetragrammaton 
(YHVH, Yod He Vau He, or Yahweh, the sacred name of 
God) was held in great awe for its power over all things in 
the universe, including DEMONS, a subject of intense fear 
and interest. 

In the late 15th century, the Kabbalah was harmonized 
with Christian doctrines, which supposedly proved the 
divinity of Christ. Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim in- 
cluded Kabbalah in his monumental work, Occult Philoso- 
phy (1531). Also in the 16th century, alchemical symbols 
were integrated into the Christian Kabbalah. 

Interest in the Kabbalah received renewed attention 
in the 19th century from non-Jewish occultists such as 
Francis Barrett, Eliphas Levi, and Papus. Levi’s works 
were especially important in the occult revival that spread 
through Europe in the 19th century. As did some of his 
contemporaries, Levi related the Kabbalah to the Tarot 
and numerology and drew connections to Freemasonry, 
in which he saw a fusion of Judaic kabbalism and Neopla- 
tonic Christianity. The Kabbalah, he said in The Book of 
Splendors, is one of three occult sciences of certitude; the 
other two are Magic and Hermeticism. Of the Kabbalah, 
Levi said: 


The Qabalah, or traditional science of the Hebrews, 
might be called the mathematics of human thought. 
It is the algebra of faith. It solves all problems of the 
soul as equations, by isolating the unknowns. It gives 
to ideas the clarity and rigorous exactitude of numbers; 
its results, for the mind, are infallibility (always relative 
to the sphere of human knowledge) and for the heart, 
profound peace. 


The Kabbalah formed a central part of the teachings 
of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, one of the 
most significant esoteric orders in the Western mystery 
tradition, which flourished in England during the late 
19th and early 20th centuries. In 1888, the Golden Dawn 
founder, Samuel Liddle Macgregor Mathers, published 
the first English translation of a Latin translation of the 
Kabbalah, Kabbala Denuda, by Knorr von Rosenroth. In 
his introduction, Mathers describes the Kabbalah as the 
key that unlocks the mysteries of the Bible. 


Central Concepts of the Kabbalah 
God is Ain Soph (without end or unending), who is un- 
knowable, unnamable, and beyond representation. God 


138 Kabbalah 


created the world out of himself but is not diminished in 
any way through the act of creation; everything remains 
within him. The aim of human beings is to realize union 
with the divine. All things are reflected in a higher world, 
and nothing can exist independently of all else. Thus, 
humans, by elevating their soul to unite with God, also 
elevate all other entities in the cosmos. 

One of the mysteries of the Kabbalah is why God 
chose to create imperfect, lower worlds, though it is held 
that he did so because he wished to show the measure of 
his goodness. He created the world by means of 32 secret 
paths of wisdom, which are formed of letters and num- 
bers: the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet and 10 sephirot 
(from the Hebrew word for sapphire), which are vessels 
bearing the emanations of God, or are expressions of 
God. They form a language that substitutes for God. The 
sephirot are the source from which all numbers emanate 
and by which all reality is structured. 

The sephirot comprise the sacred, unknowable, and 
unspeakable personal name of God: YHVH (Yahweh), 
the Tetragrammaton. So sacred is the Tetragrammaton 
that other names, such as Elohim, Adonai, and Jeho- 
vah, are substituted in its place in Scripture. The letters 
YHVH correspond to the Four Worlds that constitute the 
cosmos: 


e Atziluth is the world of archetypes and emanation, 
from which are derived all forms of manifestation. 
The sephirot themselves exist here. Atziluth is the 
realm of contemplation. 

e Briah (also Beriyah) is the world of creation, in 
which archetypal ideas become patterns. The 
Throne of God is here, and God sits upon it and 
lowers his essence to the rest of his creation. It is 
the realm of meditation. 

e Yetzirah is the world of formation, in which the pat- 
terns are expressed. It is the world of speech and 
the realm of ritual magic. 

e Assiah is the world of the material. It is the realm of 
action in daily life. 


Demonology in the Kabbalah 

Most of the demon lore is part of the Practical Kabbalah, 
a syncretic blend of Talmudic and Midrashic lore, and 
adapted Arabian, Christian, and Eastern European demo- 
nologies and folk beliefs. As in most demonologies, there 
are contradictions about demons, their nature and duties. 
Various texts have long lists of individual demons and 
types of demons. 

Demons are made of fire and air and live in waste- 
lands. They are associated with cold and the north. They 
have subtle bodies that allow them to fly through the 
air; they occupy the space between the Moon and Earth. 
They have life spans and die, but they live much longer 
than human beings, especially their kings and queens. 
Some, such as LILITH and Naamah, will live until Judg- 
ment Day. 


Demons are often described as under the direction 
of SAMAEL. Demons gather at nocturnal revelries, where 
they have intercourse with Samael, similar to the SABBATs 
attended by witches in Christian demonology. 

Other demons are under the direction of Ashmedai 
(ASMODEUS), whose name in gematria means “pharaoh.” 
Demons also are linked to the left-hand, or evil, side of 
the sephirot of the Tree of Life (see later discussion). 

Sexual activities between demons and humans are 
prominent. Demons cannot reproduce on their own. 
Through sex, demons can multiply and take on physical 
form. Adam spawned a hybrid human-demon race, which 
has continued on down through the ages through the sex- 
ual intercourse between humans and demons. Adam and 
Eve's sons, Cain and Abel, were tainted with the impurity 
of the SERPENT who slept with Eve and spawned demonic 
children as well. 

The hybrid demon-human children who continue to 
be born are banim shovavim (mischievous sons). When a 
man dies, they attend his funeral, lament him, and claim 
their inheritance. They will even injure the legitimate 
sons in order to get what they want. In the 17th century, 
folk customs arose to repel these demons. Sometimes le- 
gitimate sons were forbidden to accompany the corpse of 
their father to the cemetery. The illegitimate demons also 
were repelled by circling a grave. 

Demons are assigned to all things in creation, with 
angels as their counterparts. They can be summoned, 
commanded, and repelled in magical rituals according to 
their hours, days, months, planetary aspects, fumes, and 
SEALS. 


The Tree of Life 

The sephirot form the central image of kabbalistic medita- 
tion, the Tree of Life, a ladder map that depicts the de- 
scent of the divine into the material world, and the path 
by which humans can ascend to the divine while still in 
the flesh. The sephirot channel streams of divine light 
that become denser and coarser as they near the material 
plane. The divine light flows both down to the material 
world and up to God along these paths. 


Organization of the Tree Each sephirah is a state of con- 
sciousness and a level of attainment in knowledge: mysti- 
cal steps to unity with God. The 10 sephirot are arranged 
in different groups, which facilitate the understanding 
of their meanings. The first sephirah, Kether (Crown), is 
the closest to Ain Soph and is the source of all life and 
the highest object of prayer. Malkuth (Kingdom) pene- 
trates the physical realm and is the only sephirah in direct 
contact with it. The lower seven sephirot are associated 
with the seven days of creation. Another division splits 
them into two groups of five, the upper ones representing 
hidden powers and the lower five representing manifest 
powers. 

In another division, the top three—Kether, Chock- 
mah (Wisdom), and Binah (Intelligence)—are associated 


Kabbalah 139 


with the intellect; the middle three—Chesed (Love), Ge- 
burah (Strength), and Tipareth (Beauty)—are associated 
with the soul; and the lower three—Netzach (Victory), 
Hod (Splendor), and Yesod (Foundation)—are associated 
with nature. 

Each sephirah is governed by angels and demons. The 
demonic forces represent chaos and turbulence and are 
used in black magical practices. 

The sephirot are ineffable, and descriptions of them 
cannot begin to approach their true essence. They can 
be reached only through the second sephirah, Chockmah 
(Wisdom), which is nonverbal consciousness. Binah (In- 
telligence) is verbal consciousness. One must learn to os- 
cillate between Chockmah and Binah states of conscious- 
ness in order to grasp the sephirot. 

The tree is split into three pillars. The Right Pillar, 
masculine, represents Mercy and includes the sephirot 
Chockmah, Chesed, and Netzach. The Left Pillar, femi- 
nine, represents Severity and includes Binah, Geburah, 
and Hod. The Middle represents Mildness or Moderation 
and includes Kether, Tipareth, Yesod, and Malkuth. The 
Middle Pillar alone also is called the Tree of Knowledge. 

Sometimes an 11th sephirah is included, Daath (Knowl- 
edge), located on the Middle Pillar below Chockmah and 
Binah, and mediates the influences of the two; it is also 
considered to be an external aspect of Kether. Daath made 
its appearance in the 13th century. When represented on 
the Tree, it is depicted as a sort of shadow sphere. Daath 
cannot be a true sephirah, for the Sefer Yetzirah, the key 
text of kabbalistic philosophy, states that there can be 
only 10 sephirot, no more, no less. 

The pathways linking the sephirot have become more 
complex over time. Illustrations in the early 16th century, 
for example, depict only 16 pathways. By the 17th cen- 
tury, there were 22 pathways, each of which was assigned 
a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Thus, God’s Creation is 
made through the essences of numbers and letters. 

Together the sephiroth of the Tree of Life compose a 
unity and create a five-dimensional continuum: the three 
dimensions of the physical world, plus time, plus the 
spiritual realm. As do the Akashic Records, they serve 
as a permanent record of everything that has ever taken 
place and ever will take place—the memory of God. The 
sephirot also serve as a means of communication with the 
unknowable God. The totality of the sephirot is expressed 
in the Tetragrammaton, the sacred and unspeakable name 
of God, given as YHVH (Yahweh), or “the Lord.” 

Following are the names and associations of the sephi- 
rot, as given in Agrippa’s Occult Philosophy: 


KETHER 
Number: One 
Titles: The Crown, The Ancient One, The Aged, 
The Most Holy Ancient One, The Ancient of the 
Ancient Ones, The Ancient of Days, The Con- 
cealed of the Concealed, The Primordial Point, The 
Smooth Point, The White Head, The Inscrutable 


Height, The Vast Countenance (Macroprosopus), 
The Heavenly Man 
Divine Name: Eheieh (I Am) 
Archangel: Metatron 
Angelic Order: Hayyoth (The Holy Living Creatures) 
Archdemons: Satan, Moloch 
Demonic Order: Thamiel (The Two Contenders) 
Heavenly Sphere: Primum Mobile 
Part of Man: Head 


CHOCKMAH 

Number: Two 

Titles: Wisdom, Divine Father, The Supernal Father 

Divine Names: Jah, Jehovah (The Lord), Yod Jehovah 
(given by Agrippa) 

Archangel: Raziel 

Angelic Order: Ophanim (The Wheels) 

Archdemon: Beelzebub 

Demonic Order: Ghogiel (The Hinderers) 

Heavenly Sphere: Zodiac 

Part of Man: Brain 


BINAH 

Number: Three 

Titles: Intelligence, The Mother, The Great Productive 
Mother 

Divine Names: Elohim (Lord), Jehovah Elohim (The 
Lord God) 

Archangel: Tzaphkiel 

Angelic Order: Aralim (The Thrones) 

Archdemon: Lucifuge 

Demonic Order: Ghogiel (The Concealers) 

Heavenly Sphere: Saturn 

Part of Man: Heart 


CHESED 
Number: Four 
Titles: Love, Greatness 
Divine Name: El (The Mighty One) 
Archangel: Tzadkiel 
Angelic Order: Hasmallim (The Shining Ones) 
Archdemon: Ashtaroth 
Demonic Order: Agshekeloh (The Smiters or Breakers) 
Heavenly Sphere: Jupiter 
Part of Man: Right arm 


GEBURAH 

Number: Five 

Titles: Strength, Judgment or Severity, Fear 

Divine Names: Eloh (The Almighty), Elohim Gabor 
(God of Battles) 

Archangel: Camael 

Angelic Order: Seraphim (The Fiery Serpents) 

Archdemon: Asmodeus 

Demonic Order: Golohab (The Burners or Flaming 
Ones) 

Heavenly Sphere: Mars 

Part of Man: Left arm 


140 Kakabel 


TIPHARETH 

Number: Six 

Titles: Beauty, Compassion, The King, The Lesser 
Countenance (Microprosopus) 

Divine Names: Eloah Va-Daath (God Manifest), Elo- 
him (God) 

Archangel: Raphael 

Angelic Order: Malachim (Kings or Multitudes) 

Archdemon: Belphegor 

Demonic Order: Tagiriron (The Disputers) 

Heavenly Sphere: Sun 

Part of Man: Chest 


NETZACH 
Number: Seven 
Titles: Firmness, Victory 
Divine Name: Jehovah Sabaoth (Lord of Hosts) 
Archangel: Haniel 
Angelic Order: Elohim (Gods) 
Archdemon: Baal 
Demonic Order: Nogah (The Raveners) 
Heavenly Sphere: Venus 
Part of Man: Right leg 


HOD 
Number: Eight 
Titles: Splendor 
Divine Name: Elohim Sabaoth (God of Hosts) 
Archangel: Michael 
Angelic Order: Bene Elohim (Sons of Gods) 
Archdemon: Adrammelech 
Demonic Order: Samael (The False Accusers) 
Heavenly Sphere: Mercury 
Part of Man: Left leg 


YESOD 
Number: Nine 
Titles: The Foundation, Eternal Foundation of the 


World 
Divine Names: Shaddai (The Almighty), El Chai 
(Mighty Living One) 


Archangel: Gabriel 

Angelic Order: Cherubim (The Strong) 
Archdemon: Lilith (The Seducer) 

Demonic Order: Gamaliel (The Obscene Ones) 
Heavenly Sphere: Moon 

Part of Man: Genitals 


MALKUTH 

Number: Ten 

Titles: The Kingdom, The Diadem, The Manifest Glory 
of God, The Bride (of Microposopus), The Queen 

Divine Names: Adonai (Lord), Adonai Malekh (Lord 
and King), Adonai he-Aretz (Lord of Earth) 

Archangel: Metatron in manifest aspect; also Sandal- 
phon 

Angelic Order: Issim (Souls of Flame) 

Archdemon: Nahema (The Strangler of Children) 


Demonic Order: Nahemoth (The Dolorous Ones) 
Heavenly Sphere: Elements 
Part of Man: Whole body 


Magical work with the Tree of Life The pathways between 
the sephirot are avenues of navigation on the astral plane. 
Communication with the tree is accomplished through 
prayer, meditation, contemplation, and ritual magic. 
Some traditional meditations of arrays of numbers and 
Hebrew letters take days to complete. 

The sephirot are contemplated by visualizing them vi- 
brating with colors (which represent various qualities), 
together with images of their corresponding Hebrew let- 
ters of the divine names of God and the planets, angels, 
metals, parts of the body, and energy centers. Breath and 
sound also are utilized to raise consciousness. Mantras of 
arrays of Hebrew letters, having specific numerical prop- 
erties, are employed. 


FURTHER READING: 

Fortune, Dion. The Mystical Qabalah. York Beach, Me.: Sam- 
uel Weiser, 1984. 

Gray, William G. The Ladder of Lights. York Beach, Me.: Sam- 
uel Weiser, 1981. 

Kraig, Donald Michael. Modern Magick: Eleven Lessons in the 
High Magickal Arts. 2nd ed. Paul: Llewellyn, 2004. 

Scholem, Gershom. Kabbalah. New York: New American 
Library, 1974. 


Kakabel (Kabaiel, Kochab, Kochbiel, Kokbiel) ANGEL 
who is both good and evil. In 1 Enoch, Kakabel is a 
FALLEN ANGEL who commands 365,000 DEMONs and 
teaches astrology. In the Sefer Raziel, Kakabel is a high 
angel and prince who rules over stars and constellations. 


kelippah_ īn Jewish demonology, a type of demon or 
demonic force not distinguished by individual names. 
Kelippah means “shell,” “husk,” or “skin.” The kelippot (plu- 
ral) are forces and the root of all evil, the clinging demons 
of sin found in early Jewish mysticism and kabbalistic lore. 
They were created as shards or residues of the light cast 
down from the spiritual lights that formed the sephirot of 
the Tree of Life (see KABBALAH). They became gross matter, 
the shadow side of the Tree of Life. The kelippot are inter- 
mediaries between the upper and lower worlds. 


kesilim In Jewish demonology, DEMONs who play 
tricks, misguide people, and make fun of them. Kesilim 
means “fooling spirits.” The kesilim appear in a 17th- 
century book, Emek ha-Melekh. Related to them is a type 
of low demon, the lezim (jesters), who act as poltergeists 
and throw things about a house. 


kitsune In Japanese lore, a wild fox DEMON that causes 
POSSESSION. The kitsune also appears in the form of a 
beautiful maiden, who vampirizes her victims sexually 
as a SUCCUBUS. The kitsune appears in many Japanese 


kitsune 141 


folktales and in the literature about possession. It origi- 
nated in the lore of China, where it is described as a lewd 
creature, the HULI JING. 


Possession 

Possession by the fox demon is called kitsune-tsuki. Cases 
have been recorded in Japan since the 12th century. Some 
are believed to be revenge for a family’s former offenses 
against a huli jing. 

Most possession victims are female. The fox spirit 
enters the body either through the breast or under the 
fingernails. It resides on the left side of the body or in 
the stomach. The victim hears the fox spirit speak inside 
her head; when she talks out loud, the fox spirit takes 
on a different voice. The victim exhibits cravings for 
certain food, especially beans or rice demanded by the 
demon, sometimes as a condition of its departure. The 
victim also suffers insomnia, restlessness, and aberrant 
behavior. 

The following case concerned a teenaged girl de- 
scribed as “nervous from birth,” who was recovering 
from typhus. Her weakened condition, plus strong belief 
in the kitsune, seemed to make her highly suggestible or 
vulnerable to possession: 


A girl of seventeen years, irritable and capricious from 
childhood, was recovering from a very bad attack of 
typhus. Around her bed sat, or rather squatted in Japa- 
nese fashion, female relations chattering and smoking. 
Everyone was telling how in the dusk there had been 
seen near the house a form resembling a northern fox. It 
was suspicious. Hearing this, the sick girl felt a trembling 
in the body and was possessed. The fox had entered into 
her and spoke by her mouth several times a day. Soon he 
assumed a domineering tone, rebuking and tyrannizing 
over the poor girl. 


After several weeks of this behavior, the family con- 
sulted an EXORCIST from the Nuhiren sect, specialists in 
dealing with kitsune-tsuki. The exorcist commenced a 
“solemn exorcism.” The fox resisted all efforts until food 
was provided: 


Neither excommunication nor censing nor any other 
endeavor succeeded, the fox saying ironically that he 
was too clever to be taken in by such maneuvers. Nev- 
ertheless, he consented to come out freely from the 
starved body of the sick person if a plentiful feast was 
offered to him.... On a certain day at four o’clock 
there were to be placed in a temple sacred to foxes 
and situated twelve kilometers away two vessels of rice 
prepared in a particular way, of cheese cooked with 
beans, together with a great quantity of roast mice and 
raw vegetables, all favorite dishes of magic foxes: then 
he would leave the body of the girl exactly at the pre- 
scribed time. And so it happened. Punctually at four 
o’clock when the food was placed in the distant temple 
the girl sighed profoundly and cried: “He has gone!” 
The possession was cured. 


Not all cases of kitsune-tsuki are resolved. An account 
from the early 20th century tells of a 47-year-old Japanese 
woman who became permanently possessed. She was a 
peasant, sad-looking (and thus perhaps suffering from 
depression), not intelligent, but in good physical health. 
She sought out help in a university clinic in Tokyo. She 
related that one day eight years earlier, she had been with 
friends when one of them said that a fox had been driven 
out of a woman from a nearby village and was seeking a 
new home. This made quite an impression on her. The 
same evening, the door was opened unexpectedly at her 
home, and she felt a prick in the left side of her chest—the 
traditional entry point for a fox demon. She knew it was 
the fox, and immediately she became possessed: 


In the beginning the sinister guest contented himself 
with occasional stirrings in her bosom, and mounting 
into her head, criticized by her mouth her own thoughts 
and made mock of them. Little by little he grew bolder, 
mingled in all conversations, and abused those present. 


The woman went to a succession of exorcists, includ- 
ing the hoiny, mendicant monks from the mountains who 
specialized in EXORCISM. None could help her. 

The clinicians witnessed the appearance of the fox, 
who first showed with twitching of her mouth and arm on 
her left side where the demon had entered. These became 
more violent, and she repeatedly struck her left side with 
her fist. The fox spoke and called her a “stupid goose” 
and said he could not be stopped. There followed a fit in 
which the woman and the fox argued. It lasted about 10 
minutes. The speech of the fox deteriorated, and then the 
spirit left her. The woman said that these fits occurred six 
to 10 times a day and even awakened her at night. 

The clinicians put her in a glass room for round-the- 
clock observation. The pattern was consistent. Any emo- 
tional excitation brought on a fit. 

The fox spoke far more intelligently than the woman 
and even taunted the clinicians: 


“Look here, Professor. You might do something more 
intelligent than trying to entice me by your questions. 
Don’t you know that I am really a gay young girl, 
although I live in this old frump? You should rather pay 
court to me properly.” 


The kitsune said he would depart with the proper of- 
fering of food but never did so. Efforts to cast him out 
with chloroform, verbal orders, and “other suggestion” 
(perhaps hypnotism) also failed. The woman was released 
without a cure, having been diagnosed as suffering froma 
chronic condition of “periodic delusion.” 


Shape Shifting 

To accomplish its shape shifting to human form, the kit- 
sune flicks its fire-shooting tail once, puts on a human 
skull, turns around, and bows to the Big Dipper constel- 
lation. If the skull remains in place and does not fall, the 
transformation is successful. 


142 Klingenberg Possession 


Kitsune hide in forested areas and use human voices to 
lure victims and cast spells over them. They also frequent 
eating and drinking establishments and prey upon people 
who eat and drink too much. If they eat and drink too 
much themselves, they vanish without harming the vic- 
tim. In addition to sexually ravaging victims, the kitsune 
love to cut women’s hair and shave men’s heads as pranks. 

According to lore, whenever it rains when the Sun 
is shining brightly, a kitsune bride is going through the 
woods in a procession to the home of her groom. Marsh 
lights are fireballs breathed by the foxes or created by 
their fire-shooting tails, or the lights are the torches car- 
ried by the foxes who lead a wedding procession. 

In the mountainous areas of Japan where kitsune lore is 
strong, annual rites traditionally are held to ward off kitsune 
troubles. Processions of people take straw foxes and dolls to 
a mountain outside the village, where they are buried. 


FURTHER READING: 

Mack, Carol K., and Dinah Mack. A Field Guide to Demons, 
Fairies, Fallen Angels, and Other Subversive Spirits. New 
York: Henry Holt/Owl Books, 1998. 

Oesterreich, Traugott K. Possession and Exorcism. Secaucus, 
NJ: University Books, 1966. 

Klingenberg Possession See MICHEL, ANNELIESE. 

Kokabiel (Kabiel, Kakabiel, Kochab, Kochbiel, Kokbiel) 

FALLEN ANGEL also described as a good angel. Kokabiel 

means “star of God.” In 1 Enoch Kokabiel is a fallen angel 

who commands 365,000 DEMONs. 


In 3 Enoch he is prince of the stars, commanding 
365,000 myriads of ministering angels who make the 
stars run from city to city and from state to state in the 
Raqia’ of the heavens. In the Sefer Raziel, Kokabiel is a 
high-ranking angel. 


Kunda In ZOROASTRIANISM, the DEMON of drunken- 
ness. Kunda becomes drunk without drinking. He also is 
associated with helping wizards in their magic. 


Kunopegos (Kunopaston) DEMON in the shape of a sea 
horse. Kunopegos is a cruel spirit who raises himself up 
like great waves in the open seas, causes seasickness 
among sailors, and sinks ships in order to claim the bod- 
ies of men and their treasures. He consults the prince of 
demons, BEELZEBUB. He can go to shore as waves and 
shape shift into the form of a man. He is thwarted by the 
angel Iameth. 

In the Testament of Solomon, Kunopegos tells King 
SOLOMON that he can shape shift into a man. Solomon 
confines Kunopegos by casting him into a broad flat bowl 
filled with 10 receptacles of seawater. The top is forti- 
fied with marble and the bowl’s mouth is covered with 
asphalt, pitch, and hemp rope. The vessel is sealed and 
stored in the Temple of Jerusalem. 


FURTHER READING: 

The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vols. 1 & 2. Edited by 
James H. Charlesworth. 1983. Reprint, New York: Dou- 
bleday, 1985. 


Labartu Mesopotamian goddess with demonic charac- 
teristics, associated with Lilitu, the prototype of LILITH. 
Labartu carries a SERPENT in each hand and attacks 
young children, mothers, and nurses. 


Lactance, Father Gabriel (d. 1634) Franciscan priest 
who was a principal EXORCIST in the LOUDUN POSSESSIONS 
in France from 1630 to 1634. Father Gabriel Lactance 
earned the nickname of “Father Dicas” because he kept 
shouting, “Dicas, Dicas!” at URBAIN GRANDIER, the priest 
accused of bewitching the nuns. 

Lactance was one of three exorcists sent to the Ursuline 
convent at Loudun when the POSSESSIONs and bewitch- 
ments of the nuns seemed to be getting out of control. He 
was joined by a Jesuit, FATHER JOSEPH SURIN, and a Capu- 
chin, Father Tranquille. 

Lactance was especially zealous in his persecution 
of Grandier. As the condemned priest, badly broken by 
torture, was carted about town on his way to be burned 
at the stake, Father Lactance prevented supporters from 
helping him. He was the first to light the execution 
fire. 

Later, when the priests continued their EXORCISMs of 
the principal DEMONIAC, Mother Superior JEANNE DES AN- 
GES, he was obsessed to know precisely how Grandier was 
suffering in HELL. One of the DEMONs possessing Jeanne, 
ISACAARON, tried his best to satisfy the priest, but Jeanne 
went into convulsions to avoid further answers. 


143 


Lactance immediately suffered psychological and 
physical ailments. The evening of the execution, while 
the exorcists were at the convent, Lactance became pale 
and distant. He worried that he had prevented Grandier 
from making his confession by tearing him away from 
one of his supporters as he was taken to the stake. Per- 
haps this had been a sin. Reassured that it was not by 
his colleagues, Lactance remained ill at ease. He passed 
a sleepless night and by morning was in a fever. He re- 
peated, “God is punishing me; God is punishing me.” 

A physician, Mannoury, bled him, a customary rem- 
edy at the time. He worsened and began hallucinating 
and hearing things. He relived Grandier’s screaming un- 
der torture and asking God to forgive his enemies as he 
was strapped to the stake. He saw swarms of demons. The 
demons entered him and made him rave and contort. He 
spouted blasphemies. 

On September 18, 1634, exactly one month after 
Grandier’s execution, Lactance was on his deathbed. A 
priest was summoned to give him extreme unction. He 
knocked the crucifix from the priest’s hand and died. 

Lactance was given a fine funeral. Father Tranquille 
preached the sermon and said Lactance was a model of 
holiness who was killed by SATAN. 

Shortly thereafter, Mannoury had a vision of the na- 
ked Grandier when he was pricked for DEVIL’s MARKS. The 
doctor fell to the ground, screaming for pardon. Within a 
week, he was dead. 


144 Lahmu 


FURTHER READING: 

Certeau, Michel de. The Possession at Loudun. Translated by 
Michael B. Smith. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 
2000. 

Ferber, Sarah. Demonic Possession and Exorcism in Early Mod- 
ern France. London: Routledge, 2004. 

Huxley, Aldous. The Devils of Loudun. New York: Harper and 
Brothers, 1952. 


Lahmu Benevolent Assyrian god who protects against 
evil DEMONs. Lahmu means “hairy,” a description of the 
god’s long hair and beard. Statues of Lahmu were placed 
in house and building foundations to ward off evil. 


Lam See CROWLEY, ALEISTER. 


Lamastu Babylonian and Assyrian goddess who prac- 
tices evil for its own sake. Lamastu is usually translated 
as “demonness.” She is hideous in appearance, having 
the head of a lion, the teeth of a donkey, a hairy body, 
naked breasts, blood-stained hands with long fingers and 
fingernails, and the feet of a bird. Sometimes she is 
shown with donkey ears. She suckles pigs and holds SER- 
PENTs. She floats in a boat in the river of the underworld. 

Lamastu causes disease in all humans. As does LIL- 
ITH, she especially preys upon pregnant women, women 
in childbed, and newborn infants. Lamatsu goes into 
homes at night. She kills pregnant women by tapping on 
their bellies seven times. She steals infants from their wet 
nurses. 

The DEMON god PAzuzuU has power over her and can 
force her back into the underworld. Women protected 
themselves against her by wearing AMULETs made of 
bronze and fashioned as the head of Pazuzu. Offerings of 
centipedes and brooches were made to tempt her away. 


FURTHER READING: 

Black, Jeremy, and Anthony Green. Gods, Demons and Sym- 
bols of Ancient Mesopotamia. London: British Museum 
Press, 1992. 


lamiae Monstrous female birth DEMONs found in Mid- 
dle Eastern and Greek lore. The lamiae are named after 
Lamme, a destroyer deity in Babylonian and Assyrian 
lore, and Lamia, who was the mistress of Zeus. 

Lamia was the beautiful daughter of Belus, the king of 
Libya, who caught Zeus’ eye. In exchange for her sexual 
favors, Zeus gave her the power to pluck out the eyes of 
people and replace them. She had several children. Hera, 
the wife of Zeus, was so enraged by the liaison that she 
killed all the offspring who resulted from the union. She 
condemned Lamia to give birth only to stillborn infants. 

In revenge, Lamia became a demon and swore to kill 
the children of others. She joined the EMPOUSAI, female 
demons similar to the SUCCUBUS. Lamia bore a large fam- 
ily of children, all female demons, who became known as 
the lamiae. They have deformed lower limbs (often de- 


picted as SERPENTs) and the face and breasts of beautiful 
women. They prey upon newborns, drinking their BLOOD 
and consuming their flesh. 

In Hebrew lore, lamiae are the lilim, the demonic chil- 
dren-killing offspring of LILITH, Adam’s first wife. 

JOHANN WEYER used the term lamia to describe female 
witches who had entered into a deceptive or imaginary 
PACT with the DEVIL in order to perpetrate evil. 


larvae In Roman lore, evil spirits that harm and 
frighten the living. Larvae, also known as lemurs, are 
demonic ghosts of the dead who, because of their mis- 
deeds in life, are punished in the afterlife by being sen- 
tenced to exile and eternal wandering without a home. 
They do not bother good men, but they harass men of evil 
intent. The counterpart of the larvae are lares, benevolent 
ghosts of the dead who guard people, homes, and places. 

Apuleius described both of these types of spirits in De 
deo Socratis: 


There is also another species of daemons, according to 
a second signification, and this is a human soul, which, 
after its departure from the present life, does not enter 
into another body. I find that souls of this kind are called 
in the ancient Latin tongue Lemures. Of these Lemures, 
therefore, he who, being allotted the guardianship of 
his posterity, dwells in a house with an appeased and 
tranquil power, is called a familiar [or domestic] Lar. But 
those are for the most part called Larvae, who, having 
no proper habitation, are punished with an uncertain 
wandering, as with a certain exile, on account of the evil 
deeds of their life, and become a vain terror to good, and 
are noxious to bad men. 


Romans observed a festival in May called Lemuria, for 
appeasing the spirits of the dead, exorcising them from 
households, and preventing them from causing trouble. 
Businesses and temples closed. The most important ritual 
took place on the last night of the festival, when the lar- 
vae or lemures were exorcised. The homeowner or head 
of the household washed his hands three times, placed 
black beans in his mouth, and walked barefoot through 
the house, making the sign of the horns with his hands 
(see EVIL EYE), tossing black beans over his shoulder, and 
saying, “With these beans I do redeem me and mine.” 
This incantation was repeated nine times without look- 
ing backward. The evil ghosts who followed would pick 
up the beans and depart, leaving the residents alone until 
the following year’s festival. 

The Greeks had a similar festival, observed in Febru- 
ary or March. 

In The City of God, St. Augustine commented on lar- 
vae, believing them to be wicked demons, in reference to 
comments made by Plotinus: 


He [Plotinus] says, indeed, that the souls of men are 
demons, and that men become Lares if they are good, 
Lemures or Larvae if they are bad, and Manes if it is 


liderc 145 


uncertain whether they deserve well or ill. Who does not 
see at a glance that this is a mere whirlpool sucking men 
to moral destruction? 


For, however wicked men have been, if they suppose 
they shall become Larvae or divine Manes, they will 
become the worse the more love they have for inflicting 
injury; for, as the Larvae are hurtful demons made out 
of wicked men, these men must suppose that after death 
they will be invoked with sacrifices and divine honors 
that they may inflict injuries. But this question we must 
not pursue. He also states that the blessed are called in 
Greek eudaimones, because they are good souls, that is 
to say, good demons, confirming his opinion that the 
souls of men are demons. 


FURTHER READING: 

Augustine. The City of God. Translated by Marcus Dods, 
George Wilson and J. J. Smith; introduction by Thomas 
Merton. New York: Modern Library, 1950. 

Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spir- 
its. 3rd ed. New York: Facts On File, 2007. 

Ogden, Daniel. Magic, Witchcraft, and Ghosts in the Greek and 
Roman Worlds: A Sourcebook. New York: Oxford Univer- 
sity Press, 2002. 

LaVey, Anton Szandor See SATANISM. 
legion A unit of DEMONS. There are 6,666 demons per 
legion. JOHANN WEYER cataloged demons, listing 72 
princes who commanded legions totaling 7,405,926 
underlings. The legions are organized in military fash- 
ion, with ranks and specific duties assigned to each 
demon. The legions attend their princes when summoned 
by a magician. They are dispatched by SATAN to infest, 
oppress, and possess victims. 


Legion See JESUS. 


lemures See LARVAE. 

Lerajie (Leraie, Lerayou, Oray) FALLEN ANGEL and 
l4th of the 72 SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. Lerajie is a marquis 
who appears as an archer, dressed in green and carrying 
a bow and quiver. He causes great battles and makes 
arrow wounds putrefy. He commands 30 LEGIONs of 
DEMONS. 


Leviathan In Hebrew lore, primordial monster DEMON 
of the seas and king of beasts. 

Leviathan is described in the book of Job as a huge 
whalelike creature who is nearly invulnerable; spears do 
no more than tickle him: 


His back is made of rows of shields, 

Shut up closely as with a seal... . 

His sneezings flash forth light, 

And his eyes are like eyelids of the dawn. 


Out of the mouth go flaming torches; 
Sparks of fire leap forth. . . . 

In his neck abides strength, 

And terror dances before him. 


The book of Jonah tells about Jonah, who flees from 
God's wrath across the sea toward the city of Tarshish. 
Along the way, God sends a tempest, and the ship’s crew 
find out that Jonah is the cause. They throw him over- 
board and he is swallowed by Leviathan. For three days, 
he is imprisoned in the belly of the beast, and then God 
forces Leviathan to vomit him up on land. 

John Milton, in his epic poem Paradise Lost, describes 
Leviathan as “the Arch-Fiend,” who lurks about the seas 
around Scandinavia. He would rise to the surface and 
fool sailors into thinking his huge bulk was actually land. 
When the ships were close, he would drag them down 
and sink them. 

Leviathan was one of the possessing demons named in 
the LOUDUN POSSESSIONS. He is ruler of Envy, the fourth 
of the SEVEN DEADLY SINS. 

In Hebrew lore, Leviathan has two aspects, male— 
Leviathon, the Slant Serpent—and female—LILITH, the 
Tortuous Serpent. 

See BEHEMOTH. 


FURTHER READING: 

Hyatt, Victoria, and Joseph W. Charles. The Book of Demons. 
New York: Simon & Schuster, 1974. 

Koltuv, Barbara Black. The Book of Lilith. Berwick, Me.: Nicolas- 
Hays, 1986. 


leyak In Balinese lore, a sorcerer who has the ability to 
shape shift into a DEMON, causing death and destruction 
to people, animals, and crops. The leyak also is the cause 
of all bad events and misfortunes. 

While the sorcerer sleeps, the leyak flies in the night 
skies in the form of a mysterious light, a monkey, or a 
bird. If the leyak is destroyed, its human form dies in- 
stantly along with it. A leyak can remain disguised to fel- 
low human beings indefinitely. Usually, it is unmasked 
only when it is killed in its shape-shifted form. 


lezim See KESILIM. 


liderc Hungarian DEMON that shape shifts into three 
guises: an INCUBUS, a household spirit, and a death omen 
light. 

The incubus liderc takes advantage of loneliness, mas- 
querading as long-absent lovers and dead husbands. Once 
in its victim’s bed, it returns night after night and forni- 
cates with the victim, who has a wasting death. A give- 
away to the demon’s true nature is that it has one goose leg 
and foot, which it keeps hidden in trousers and boots. 

The household liderc takes the form of a featherless 
chicken that suddenly appears or is hatched from an egg 
carried in the armpit. It can never be banished once it has 


146 ligature 


entered a home. The only solution is to keep it busy with 
tasks; otherwise, it will destroy the occupants. 

The flickering light liderc is a ball of light (ignis fau- 
tis) that hovers over the household where someone will 
soon die. 


FURTHER READING: 

Mack, Carol K., and Dinah Mack. A Field Guide to Demons: 
Fairies, Fallen Angels, and Other Subversive Spirits. New 
York: Owl Books/Henry Holt, 1998. 


ligature A knotted loop of thread used by witches to 
cause demonic castration or impotence in men, as well 
as barrenness in women and unhappiness in marriage. 
The ligature also served to bind couples in illicit amatory 
relationships. 

Belief in impotence caused by SORCERY with DEMONs 
was not widespread until about the 14th century, when 
SABBATS, PACTs with the DEVIL, and the evil acts of witches 
gained prominence in witch trials. Fear of ligature in- 
creased in the witch hysteria of the Inquisition, when 
witches were believed to use powers bestowed by the 
Devil to interfere in the sexual acts of people. 

Thomas Platter, a physician in the Montpellier region 
of France in 1596, described how ligature happened to 
newlyweds: At the instant when a priest blessed a new 
marriage, a witch went behind the husband, knotted a 
thread, and threw a coin on the ground while calling the 
Devil. If the coin disappeared, it meant that the Devil 
took it to keep until Judgment Day, and the couple was 
doomed to unhappiness, sterility, and adultery. 

Platter believed fully in ligatures, noting that couples 
living in Languedoc were so fearful of demonic castra- 
tion that not 10 weddings in 100 were performed publicly 
in church. Instead, the priest, the couple, and their par- 
ents went off in secret to celebrate the sacrament. Only 
then, Platter reported, could the newlyweds enter their 
home, enjoy the feasting, and go to bed. He concluded 
that the panic was so bad that there was a local danger of 
depopulation. 

Other means could cause ligature: a nut or acorn split 
in two and placed on either side of a bed; a needle used to 
sew a corpse's shroud, placed beneath a pillow; or three 
or four beans placed beneath the bed, on the road outside 
a house, or around the door. 

Folk magic remedies could remove a ligature. The vic- 
tim would be cured by eating a woodpecker or by smell- 
ing the scent of a dead man’s tooth. Another remedy called 
for rubbing the entire body with raven’s bile and sesame 
oil. Quicksilver (mercury) enclosed in a reed sealed with 
wax or sealed in an empty hazelnut shell could be placed 
beneath the afflicted person’s pillow or under the thresh- 
old of the house or the bedroom. The bile of a BLACK DOG 
sprinkled on a house would neutralize a demon, and the 
BLOOD of a black dog sprinkled on the walls would clear 
all evil spells. Wormwood or squill flowers hung at the 
bedroom door would keep out a demon. 


FURTHER READING: 
Lea, Henry Charles. Materials toward a History of Witchcraft. 
Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1939. 


lightning In folklore, the mark of the DEVIL. Lightning 
strikes leave streaks and ragged, hooked, charred marks 
on objects. According to lore, these are claw marks of the 
Devil. 

NICHOLAS REMY, a loth-century demonologist, said 
that DEMONs mingle with lightning and determine where 
it strikes. Remy said that when he was a boy, his house 
at Charmes, France, was struck by lightning and marked 
with “deep claw marks.” Further evidence of the presence 
of the Devil was the “most foul smell of sulphur.” 


FURTHER READING: 
Remy, Nicholas. Demonolatry. Secaucus, N.J.: University 
Books, 1974. 


Lilith A female DEMON of the night and succuBUS who 
flies about searching for newborn children to kidnap or 
strangle and sleeping men to seduce in order to produce 
demon children. Lilith is a major figure in Jewish demon- 
ology, appearing as early as 700 B.C.E. in the book of Isa- 
iah; she or beings similar to her also are found in myths 
from other cultures around the world. She is the dark 
aspect of the Mother Goddess. She is the original “scarlet 
woman” and sometimes described as a screech owl, blind 
by day, who sucks the breasts or navels of young chil- 
dren or the dugs of goats. 

In addition to Jewish folklore, Lilith appears in various 
forms in Iranian, Babylonian, Sumerian, Canaanite, Per- 
sian, Arabic, Teutonic, Mexican, Greek, English, Asian, 
and Native American legends. She is sometimes associ- 
ated with other characters in legend and myth, includ- 
ing the queen of Sheba and Helen of Troy. In medieval 
Europe, she was often portrayed as the wife, concubine, 
or grandmother of SATAN. 

Lilith appears in different guises in various texts. She 
is best known as the first wife of Adam, created by God 
as twins joined in the back. Lilith demanded equality 
with Adam and, failing to get it, left him in anger. Adam 
complained to God that his wife had deserted him. God 
sent three angels, Sanvi, Sansanvi, and Semangelaf, to 
take Lilith back to Eden. The angels found her in the 
Red Sea and threatened her with the loss of 100 of her 
demon children every day unless she returned to Adam. 
She refused and was punished. Lilith took revenge by 
launching a reign of terror against women in childbirth, 
newborn infants—particularly males—and men who 
slept alone. She was forced, however, to swear to the 
three angels that whenever she saw their names or im- 
ages on an amulet, she would leave infants and mothers 
alone. 

After the Fall, Adam spent 130 years separated from 
Eve, during which Lilith went to him and satisfied him 
during sleep. They had a son, who became a frog. 


lion-demon 147 


The earliest account of Lilith appears in a midrash, Al- 
pha Bet Ben Sira, which attempts to resolve the discrepan- 
cies in the Torah about the creation of Lilith in Genesis, 
followed by the creation of Eve just a few passages later. 
In the midrash, God created Lilith in the same way as he 
did Adam, but he used filth and impure sediment instead 
of dust from the earth. Adam and Lilith were at odds with 
each other from the beginning, and she refused to lie be- 
neath him during intercourse. When she saw that Adam 
would gain power over her, she uttered the ineffable name 
of God and flew off to a cave in the desert near the Red Sea. 
There, as queen of Zemargad or queen of the desert, she 
engaged in promiscuity, including with demons, and gave 
birth to 100 demonic offspring called lilim every day. The 
daughters all practice SORCERY, seduction, and strangling. 

She became the bride of SAMAEL, the DEVIL (in some 
accounts called Ashmodai, or ASMODEUS), in a union ar- 
ranged by the Blind Dragon, an entity who has been cas- 
trated so that his offspring will not overcome the world. 
The lilim are hairy beings, having hair everywhere on 
their faces and bodies except their heads. 

In a text preceding the Zohar, Lilith and Samael are 
born joined as androgynous twins from an emanation be- 
neath the throne of glory. They are the lower aspects of 
another androgynous twin, Adam and Eve. 

In the Zohar, Lilith arises from an evil shell or husk, 
a KELIPPAH, that is created in the waning of the Moon. In 
the beginning, the Sun and Moon were equal, and this 
created a rivalry. To end it, God diminished the Moon 
and made it rule the night. Lilith’s powers are at their 
peak when the Moon is dark. She is the seducer of men 
and the strangler of children; the latter role is sometimes 
attributed to NAAMAH. 

Lilith, who has the upper body of a beautiful woman 
and a lower body of fire, carries the fiery resentment of 
the Moon. Lilith lurks under doorways, in wells, and in 
latrines, waiting to seduce men. She is adorned with the 
“ornaments for seduction”: 


Her hair is long and red like the rose, her cheeks are 
white and red, from her ears hang six ornaments, Egyp- 
tian cords and all the ornaments of the Land of the 
East hang from her nape. Her mouth is set like a nar- 
row door comely in its decor, her tongue is sharp like 
a sword, her words are smooth like oil, her lips are red 
like a rose and sweetened by all the sweetness in the 
world. She is dressed in scarlet and adorned with forty 
ornaments less one. 


Men who sleep alone are especially vulnerable to Lilith. 

The Zohar also describes Lilith as a female aspect of 
LEVIATHAN, who has a SERPENT body. She is Leviathan, 
the Tortuous Serpent, the counterpart to the male as- 
pect, Leviathon, the Slant Serpent. Lilith is the serpent 
who tempts Eve with the apple of forbidden knowledge 
in paradise and thus instigates the Fall. She also per- 
suades Eve to seduce Adam while she is menstruating 
and impure. 


The numerical value of Lilith’s name equals the Hebrew 
word for “screech.” Thus, Lilith is the “demon of screech- 
ing” and “the princess of screeching” and is personified as 
a screech owl. In legend, on the Day of Atonement, Lilith 
spends the day in a screeching battle with MAHALATH, a 
concubine to Samael. They taunt each other so much that 
the very earth trembles. Also on the Day of Atonement, 
Lilith goes forth into the desert with 420 LEGIONs of her 
demons, and they march about while she screeches. 

Lilith is also known as Lady of the Beasts, who rules 
the wilderness and all beasts, the animal side of human 
nature. 

In her guise as the queen of Sheba, she attempted to 
seduce King SOLOMON. He discovered her true nature by 
having the DJINN build a throne room with a floor of glass. 
Lilith mistook it for water and raised her garments in or- 
der to cross it to his throne. Her hairy, bestial legs were 
revealed in the reflection of the glass. 

AMULETs and INCANTATION BOWLs traditionally pro- 
tected new mothers and infants against Lilith. Common 
amulets were knives and hands inscribed with CHARMs; 
some had bells attached. Frogs also protect against her. 
Male infants were vulnerable for the first week of life, girls 
for the first three weeks. Sometimes a magic circle was 
drawn around the lying-in bed, with a charm inscribed 
with the names of the three angels, Adam and Eve, and 
the words barring Lilith or protect this newborn child from 
all harm. Sometimes amulets with such inscriptions were 
placed in all corners of and throughout the bedchamber. 
If a child laughed in its sleep, it was a sign that Lilith was 
present. Tapping the child on the nose made the demon 
go away. 

According to lore, men who had nocturnal emissions 
believed they had been seduced by Lilith during the night 
and had to say incantations to prevent the offspring from 
becoming demons. Any seed spilled during sex, even 
marital sex, is at risk for becoming lilim. 


FURTHER READING: 

Koltuv, Barbara Black. The Book of Lilith. Berwick, Me.: Nico- 
las-Hays, 1986. 

Scholem, Gershom. Kabbalah. New York: New American 
Library, 1974. 


lilitu A family of Babylonian DEMONs, composed of a 
male lilu and two females, lilitu and ardat-lili. The demons 
have associations with LILITH. 

The lilu and lilitu haunt deserts and threaten pregnant 
women and infants. The ardat-lili is incapable of sex and 
takes out her frustrations upon young men by render- 
ing them impotent. She also makes women sterile. The 
ardat-lili is thought have the form of a scorpion-tailed 
she-wolf. 


lion-demon Babylonian hybrid DEMON, usually in the 
shape of a bare-chested man with a lion head and tail, 
donkey ears, and bird feet. Lion-demons hold a dagger 


148 Lion-Shaped Demon 


upraised in one hand and a mace in the other. Lion- 
demons are benevolent and protect against evil demons 
that cause misfortune and disease. 


Lion-Shaped Demon FALLEN ANGEL in the shape of a 
roaring lion, who commands LEGIONs of DEMONs. 

In the Testament of Solomon, the Lion-Shaped De- 
mon appears before King SOLOMON and says he cannot 
be bound. He sneaks up to people who are lying in their 
sickbeds and makes it impossible for them to recover. He 
says he is of Arab descent. 

Solomon invokes the name of “the great God Most 
High” and forces the demon to reveal that he is thwarted 
by Emmanuel (JEsus). Emmanuel has bound the Lion- 
Shaped Demon and his legions and will torture them by 
driving them off a cliff into water. Solomon sentences the 
demon’s legions to carrying woods from a grove of trees 
and sentences the Lion-Shaped Demon to use his claws 
to saw it into kindling and throw it under a perpetually 
burning kiln. 


FURTHER READING: 

The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vols. 1 & 2. Edited by 
James H. Charlesworth. 1983. Reprint, New York: Dou- 
bleday, 1985. 


Lion-demon of disease and evil (AUTHOR’S COLLECTION) 


Lix Tetrax FALLEN ANGEL and DEMON of the wind. In 
the Testament of Solomon, Lix Tetrax is summoned to 
the presence of King SOLOMON by BEELZEBUB, at the 
king’s orders. The demon appears with his face high in 
the air and his body crawling like a small snail. He raises 
up clouds of dust and wind and hurls them at Solomon, 
who watches, unharmed and in amazement at this dis- 
play. At last, the king spits on the ground and seals the 
demon with his magical ring. 

Lix Tetrax claims he is “the direct offspring of the 
Great One,” perhaps a reference to Beelzebub, the Prince 
of Demons. He lives in the constellation near the tip of 
the horn of the Moon when it is in the south. He says he 
divides men, creates whirlwinds, starts fires, sets fields 
on fire, and renders households nonfunctional. He is es- 
pecially busy during the summertime. He slithers into 
houses at the corners night and day (see INCANTATION 
BOWLS). 

He has the power to heal the “day-and-a-half fever” if 
invoked to do so with the three names of Baltala, Thallal, 
and Melchal. He is thwarted by the angel Azael. 

Solomon sentences Lix Tetrax to throw stones up to 
the workmen at the heights of the Temple of Jerusalem, 
under construction. 


FURTHER READING: 

The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vols. 1 & 2. Edited by 
James H. Charlesworth. 1983. Reprint, New York: Dou- 
bleday, 1985. 


loogaroo In West Indies lore, an old woman who has 
made a PACT with the DEVIL and must supply him with 
large quantities of warm BLOOD. The term loogaroo was 
coined by French colonists and is a corruption of the 
French term for werewolf, loup-garou. 

In order to satisfy the Devil's demand for blood, the 
loogaroo preys as a vulture during the day. At night, she 
goes to a cottonwood tree, where she removes her own 
skin and hides it in the tree. She shape shifts into a blob 
of light and flies about, attacking people and animals and 
sucking their blood as a vampire. 

If the loogaroo is injured while in her shape-shifted 
form, she will show her wound when she changes back 
to human form, thus revealing her true identity. Another 
way of exposing her is to find her skin and grind it up 
with pepper and salt. This will force her to be naked in 
the daytime, and she will die of exposure. 


Loudun Possessions (1630-1634) Mass POSSESSION of 
Ursuline nuns of Loudun, France, who accused Father 
URBAIN GRANDIER as the source of their demonic afflic- 
tions. The Loudun Possessions were probably the most 
famous case of mass possession in history. Vividly 
described in Aldous Huxley’s The Devils of Loudun (1952), 
the torments of Mother Superior JEANNE DES ANGES (Joan 
of the Angels) and the sisters by the handsome Grandier 
resulted in not only the priest’s fiery death but great 


Loudun Possessions 149 


debate on the veracity of the nuns’ sufferings, the theo- 
logical probability of witchcraft, and the possibility that 
Grandier had been sacrificed for his political missteps. 

A total of 27 nuns claimed to be possessed, obsessed, 
or bewitched. The EXORCISMs became a circus of pub- 
lic spectacles conducted at the Ursuline convent, local 
chapels, and even private homes. Though the case had 
generally ended by 1634 with the execution of Grandier, 
exorcisms continued until 1637. 


The Ursuline Convent 

The Ursuline convent was new, established in 1626 by 17 
nuns, most of them of noble birth. They were not par- 
ticularly pious but were sent to the convent because their 
families could not afford dowries large enough to attract 
suitors of comparable rank. Most were resigned to their 
fate and lived lives of boredom at the convent. 

The only place they could afford to rent for their quar- 
ters was a gloomy house no one would live in because it 
was notoriously haunted. There was no furniture and the 
nuns slept on the floor. They did menial work and did not 
eat meat. Soon the locals realized that the nuns were well 
connected by blood to important people, and so they sent 
their daughters to the convent for education. 

In 1627, a new superior was appointed: Jeanne des An- 
ges, formerly Jeanne de Belciel, a baron’s daughter. Con- 
temporaries of Jeanne des Anges described her both as a 
living saint and as a strange, ambitious woman. She was 
arrogant, mean, rich, and extravagant in her secular life as 
the daughter of a baron. Sent to the convent because her 
hunchback and unattractive appearance made her mar- 
riage prospects poor, Jeanne nursed secret resentments. 
She feigned piety in order to become mother superior. 


Grandier’s Rise and Fall 

In 1617, Grandier was appointed parish priest of St.- 
Pierre-du-Marche in Loudun, a town in Poitiers, France. 
He cut quite a figure. Handsome, urbane, wealthy, and el- 
oquent, he had no trouble finding women willing to help 
him bend his priestly vows. He inspired admiration and 
adoration and at the same time resentment and envy. Ev- 
erything he did was successful, and he enjoyed the sup- 
port of powerful people. 

Grandier reveled in his popularity and often acted 
arrogantly. He quarreled with people and did not care 
whether they became enemies. Townspeople suspected 
him of fathering a child by Philippa Trincant, the daugh- 
ter of the king’s solicitor in Loudun, and he openly 
courted Madeleine de Brou, daughter of the king’s coun- 
cilor, to whom he composed a treatise against the celi- 
bacy of priests. Most assumed Madeleine was Grandier’s 
mistress. 

Grandier’s first serious setback occurred June 2, 1630, 
when he was arrested for immorality and found guilty 
by his enemy, the bishop of Poitiers. But Grandier’s own 
political connections restored him to full clerical duties 
within the year. Next, Grandier’s enemies approached 


Father Mignon, confessor to the Ursuline nuns at their 
convent and a relative of Trincant. The plan was for Father 
Mignon to persuade a few of the sisters to feign posses- 
sion, swearing that Father Grandier had bewitched them, 
causing his removal and downfall. The mother superior, 
Jeanne des Anges, and another nun readily complied, fall- 
ing into fits and convulsions, holding their breath and 
speaking in hoarse voices. 

Jeanne became sexually obsessed with Grandier and 
had strange dreams in which he appeared to her as a radi- 
ant angel but spoke more as a devil would, enticing her to 
sexual acts and vices. Her hysterical dreams and ravings 
disturbed the peace of the convent, and after flagellation 
and penance, Jeanne was no quieter, and more nuns had 
succumbed to hallucinations and dreams. At this point, 
some accounts report Jeanne called for Father Mignon’s 
help, not the other way around. 

Father Mignon and Father Pierre Barre, his aide, saw 
an opportunity for revenge against Grandier. There was 
no shortage of other enemies of Grandier, for he had made 
many, especially concerning his seductions of women in 
town. 

When word circulated that the Ursuline nuns were 
bewitched and possessed and Grandier was responsible, 
the curé shrugged off the gossip. It was a foolish mistake, 
for the revised Witchcraft Act of 1604 called for the death 
penalty upon conviction of sorcery, WITCHCRAFT, and 
diabolical pAcT. The development of sorcery accusations 
against Grandier had grave implications. 

The two priests began exorcizing the nuns, while 
Jeanne and the others shrieked, cavorted, and suffered 
convulsive fits. Whether the rituals added to the perfor- 
mance or caused Jeanne’s mind to snap, she swore that 
she and the others were possessed by two DEMONs, ASMO- 
DEUS and ZABULON, sent by Father Grandier via a bouquet 
of roses thrown over the convent walls. 

Now realizing his peril, Grandier appealed to the bai- 
liff of Loudun to have the nuns isolated, but the bailiff’s 
orders were ignored. In desperation, Grandier wrote to 
the archbishop of Bordeaux; the archbishop sent his doc- 
tor to examine the nuns and found no evidence of posses- 
sion. The archbishop ended the exorcisms on March 21, 
1633, and ordered the nuns to confinement in their cells. 
Peace returned for a while, but the hysteria began again 
later that year. 

Still convinced he could not be convicted of such 
imaginary crimes, Grandier was thrown into prison 
at the castle of Angiers on November 30, 1633. DEVILs 
MARKS were quickly found by lancing him in one part of 
the body, causing pain, and lightly touching him else- 
where, causing none. Observers such as Dr. Fourneau, 
the physician who prepared Grandier for torture, and 
the apothecary from Poitiers protested the examiner's 
hoax and found no such marks. Other voices were raised 
in Grandier’s defense, even from the possessed nuns 
themselves. 


150 Loudun Possessions 


Grandier’s enemies continued their efforts against 
him. A relative of Jeanne’s, Jean de Laubardemont, and 
a crony of the powerful Cardinal Richelieu, along with a 
Capuchin monk, Father Tranquille, called to the cardi- 
nal’s attention a libelous satire on Richelieu that Grandier 
was supposed to have written in 1618 and reports of the 
unsuccessful exorcisms. Eager to prove his power in the 
church and in France, and aware of his relative, Sister 
Claire, in the convent, the cardinal appointed Laubarde- 
mont head of a commission to arrest and convict Grand- 
ier as a witch. The exorcisms resumed publicly under 
Mignon, Barre, Father Tranquille, and FATHER GABRIEL 
LACTANCE, a Franciscan. 

Experts continued to doubt that the possessions were 
genuine. Most of the nuns failed the test of knowledge of 
foreign languages not known to them prior to their pos- 
session. Nuns who did not know Latin were conveniently 
possessed by demons who did not know Latin. Some- 
times when given commands in Latin or Greek, the nuns 
had to be coached to respond correctly. Similarly, the 
nuns repeatedly failed tests for clairvoyance, levitation, 
and superhuman strength. To make up for their short- 
comings in crucial areas, the nuns resorted to contortions 
and gymnastics, revealing their legs, much to the delight 
of onlookers. 

Even more glaring were other gaffes. Sister Agnes said 
repeatedly she did not believe herself to be possessed but 
was convinced by Jeanne and the exorcists. On another 
occasion, during an exorcism, some burning sulfur acci- 
dentally fell on the lip of Sister Claire. She burst into tears 
and said she was ready to believe that she was possessed 
as she had been told, but she did not deserve to be treated 
in this manner. On another occasion, Claire said tearfully 
that her possession and the accusations against Grandier 
were all lies she had been forced to tell by Mignon, Lac- 
tance, and the Carmelites. Agnes attempted to escape the 
convent but was captured and returned. 

Jeanne made a deranged appearance in the convent 
yard one day, dressed only in her shirt, and stood for two 
hours in pouring rain with a rope around her neck and a 
candle in her hand. She then tied herself to a tree, threat- 
ening to hang herself, but was rescued by other sisters. 
This was witnessed by the chief magistrate, de Laubarde- 
mont. The exorcists said Jeanne’s actions and the retrac- 
tions were lies of SATAN. 

Despite these problems, the case against Grandier 
continued full force. In part, the case was also being used 
against the Protestant Huguenots in general, for the nuns 
all said that the Huguenots were disciples of Satan. Af- 
ter the Protestant Reformation, Catholics and Protestants 
battled each other in possession and exorcism cases to try 
to demonstrate who had the greater spiritual authority. 

Besides the accusations of the nuns, Grandier’s former 
mistresses came forward with stories of adultery, incest, 
sacrilege, and other sins committed not only by a priest 
but in the holiest places of the church. The dreams and 


physical responses of the nuns were overtly sexual, pro- 
viding shocking evidence of Grandier’s diabolical nature. 
Jeanne added a new possessor, ISACAARON, the devil of 
debauchery, and even went through a psychosomatic 
pregnancy. 

Pillet de la Mesnardiere, one of Cardinal Richeliew’s 
personal physicians, determined exactly where some 
of demons resided in the bodies of the possessed nuns, 
among them: 


e Jeanne des Anges: Leviathan in the center of the 
forehead, Beherit in the stomach, Balaam under the 
second rib on the right side, Isacaaron under the last 
rib on the left 

e Agnes de la Motte-Barace: Asmodeus under the 
heart and Beherit in the stomach 

e Louise of Jesus: Eazaz under the heart and Caron in 
the center of the forehead 

e Claire de Sazilly: Zabulon in the forehead, Nepthali 
in the right arm, San Fin (Grandier of the Domin- 
ions) under the second rib on the right, Elymi on 
one side of the stomach, the enemy of the Virgin in 
the neck, Verrine in the left temple, and Concupis- 
cence of the Order of the Cherubim in the left rib 

e Seraphica: A bewitchment of the stomach consist- 
ing of a drop of water guarded sometimes by Baruch 
and other times by Carreau 

e Anne d’Escoubleau: A magic bayberry leaf in her 
stomach guarded by Elymi 


Among the lay demoniacs and their resident demons 
were: 


e Elizabeth Blanchard: A devil under each armpit, 
the Coal of Impurity in the left buttock, and devils 
under the navel, below the heart, and under the left 
breast nipple 

e Francoise Filatreau: Ginnillion in the forebrain, 
Jabel throughout the body, Buffetison below the 
navel, and Dog’s Tail of the Order of Archangels in 
the stomach 


The nuns’ accusations escalated. Madeleine de Brou 
was accused of witchcraft, arrested, and imprisoned. 
Because of her father’s political connections, she was re- 
leased, rearrested, and released again. This time, she dis- 
appeared into a convent. 

Gentlemen in town were accused of consorting with 
the Devil, and even the chief magistrate, de Cerisay, was 
accused of practicing black magic. Other priests were ac- 
cused of rape. 

Finally, Father Grandier was forced to exorcize the 
nuns himself, since he was the apparent cause of their suf- 
ferings. To test their knowledge of languages previously 
unknown to them—a sure sign of possession—Grandier 
spoke in Greek, but the nuns had been coached, replying 
that one of the terms of their pact had been never to use 
Greek. Of course, Grandier failed. 


Loudun Possessions 151 


One of the most interesting items from the exorcisms 
and trial was the alleged written PACT between the Devil 
and Grandier, allegedly stolen from Lucifer’s cabinet of 
devilish agreements by Asmodeus and presented to the 
court as proof of Grandier’s complicity. Purportedly writ- 
ten backward by Grandier in Latin and signed in BLOOD, 
the pact outlined Grandier’s duties to the Devil and the 
benefits he accrued thereby. Cosigners were SATAN, BEELZE- 
BUB, LUCIFER, ELIMI, LEVIATHAN, and ASTAROTH, and it was 
notarized by “signature and mark of the chief devil, and 
my lords the princes of hell.” The recorder, BAALBERITH, 
countersigned the pact. Asmodeus also accommodatingly 
wrote out a promise to leave one of the nuns he was pos- 
sessing, as reported by an earlier exorcist, Father Gault: 


I promise that when leaving this creature, I will make 
a slit below her heart as long as a pin, that this slit will 
pierce her shirt, bodice and cloth which will be bloody. 
And tomorrow, on the twentieth of May at five in the 
afternoon of Saturday, I promise that the demons Gresil 
and Amand will make their opening in the same way, 
but a little smaller—and I approve the promises made 
by Leviatam, Behemot, Beherie with their companions to 


(A) 
u CO baw wéw è 
paie n: i tide found 4 obedit—/ 
vi Jue 4 yeuuuae aller bwu 
jw (bir phu cl foucty “de faules 
l Adenan 2 eran ARE & aua of 
A 
a PAT ce Deo Pras radi Wed ya gia 
fsa pr diene te ome a 
pet tapusio K Pe AE 
laas ETA (Ka AR jaa faudog uu. 
tto tud fer LC adonatoun Q fi uou 
nse Dg 0 aque Bee 


vitam utua fi 


Edtactem ex inferis. 


sign, when leaving, the register of the church St. Croix! 
Given the nineteenth of May, 1629. 


The message is written in Jeanne des Anges hand. 
Other demonic “evidence” was that of Astaroth, a devil of 
the angelic order of seraphim and chief of the possessing 
devils; from Easas, Celsus, Acaos, Cedon, Alex, Zabulon, 
Naphthalim, Cham, and Ureil; from Asmodeus of the an- 
gelic order of thrones; and from Achas of the angelic order 
of principalities. 

As the circus escalated, skeptics and defenders of 
Grandier came forward to protest. On July 2, 1634, they 
were officially silenced, forbidden to speak out against the 
nuns, the exorcists, or any others assisting in the exor- 
cisms, under pain of stiff fines and physical punishment. 

Jeanne des Anges appeared in court with a noose 
around her neck, threatening to hang herself if she could 
not expiate her previous perjury. Such efforts were ig- 
nored, and other defense witnesses were either pressured 
to keep silent or threatened with arrest as accessory 
witches or traitors to the king. Many had to flee France. 

Grandier believed almost to the end that he would 
be exonerated. He appeared before the 14 judges only 


(8) 


„b bas Meld ait AE 


E fgova was t log 
a bal apa Klai DÂ vn 
a non (urs TA nta jum 7° 


4 =“ mi ii Bags Lab i 


i noe] SF on 
dk f aay spa 


Ma oy fri J I n 


My, 
2 &, 
ho Fpnig mp EY did gato gga 


VIV GLL 


The Devils pact allegedly signed by Father Urbain Grandier (AUTHOR’S COLLECTION) 


152 Louviers Possessions 


three times. Inevitably, the Royal Commission passed 
sentence on August 18, 1634: After the first and last de- 
grees of torture, Grandier was to be burned alive at the 
stake. Even under extreme torture, Grandier maintained 
his innocence, refusing to name accomplices, so anger- 
ing Father Tranquille and the others that they broke both 
his legs and claimed that everytime Grandier prayed to 
God, he was really invoking the Devil. Grandier had been 
promised he could make a last statement and be merci- 
fully strangled before burning, but the friars who carried 
him to the stake deluged him with holy water, preventing 
him from speaking. And the garotte was knotted so that 
it could not be tightened, leaving Grandier to be burned 
alive. One monk who witnessed the execution reported 
that a large fly buzzed about Grandier’s head, symboliz- 
ing that Beelzebub, the Lord of the Flies, had appeared to 
carry Grandier’s soul to HELL. 

But Grandier had the last word. As he struggled, 
Grandier told Father Lactance that he would see God in 
30 days. The priest died accordingly, reportedly crying, 
“Grandier, I was not responsible for your death.” Father 
Tranquille died insane within five years, and Dr. Man- 
noury, the fraudulent witch pricker, also died in delir- 
ium. Father Barre left Loudun for an exorcism at Chinon, 
where he was finally banished from the church for con- 
spiring to accuse a priest of rape on the altar; the blood- 
stains turned out to be from a chicken. Louis Chavet, one 
of the judges who was skeptical of the possessions and 
who was denounced by Jeanne as a sorcerer himself, fell 
into depression and insanity and died before the end of 
the winter. 

FATHER JEAN-JOSEPH SURIN, who arrived as an exorcist 
in 1634 after the death of Grandier, succumbed to posses- 
sion by Jeanne’s devils. For years after Grandier’s death, 
Surin was haunted by the exorcisms, eventually becom- 
ing unable to eat, dress himself, walk, read, or write. He 
no longer prayed to God and continually saw visions of 
devils, black wings, and other terrors. In 1645, he tried 
to kill himself. Only after Father Surin received tender 
care from Father Bastide, the new head of Surin’s Jesuit 
College at Saintes, in 1648, did he begin to recover. Surin 
finally wrote again in 1657 and walked in 1660. He died 
at peace in 1665. 

Grandier’s death did not stop the possessions at Lou- 
dun. Public appreciation of the exorcisms had been so 
great that the convent continued the performances as a 
type of tourist attraction, led by Mignon and three other 
Jesuit exorcists who arrived in December 1634 (one was 
Surin). Twice a day except Sundays, the afflicted nuns 
were exorcised for the amusement of the crowds. They 
lifted their skirts and coarsely begged for sexual relief. 
They beat their heads, bent backward, walked on their 
hands, stuck out blackened tongues, and used language 
that, according to one account, “would have astonished 
the inmates of the lowest brothel in the country.” Such 
shows continued until 1637, when the duchess d’Aiguillon, 


niece to Cardinal Richelieu, reported the fraud to her 
uncle. Having satisfied his original aim—to demonstrate 
his considerable power—Richelieu righteously cut off the 
performers’ salaries and put the convent at peace. Jeanne 
des Anges, convinced of her saintliness by Father Surin, 
died in 1665. 

Huxley's account of the madness at Loudun forms 
the basis of Ken Russell’s film version, The Devils (1971). 
Vanessa Redgrave plays Jeanne des Anges, portrayed as a 
deformed, bitter, and sexually repressed woman. Oliver 
Reed plays the unfortunate Grandier. 


FURTHER READING: 

Ferber, Sarah. Demonic Possession and Exorcism in Early Mod- 
ern France. London: Routledge, 2004. 

Huxley, Aldous. The Devils of Loudun. New York: Harper and 
Brothers, 1952. 


Louviers Possessions (1647) Mass demonic POSSES- 
SIONs at a convent chapel of the Hospitaller sisters of St. 
Louis and St. Elizabeth in Louviers, France. The Louvi- 
ers Possessions have similarities to the AIX-EN-PROVENCE 
POSSESSIONS and the LOUDUN POSSESSIONS. Conviction of 
the priests involved hinged mainly on the evidence of 
the possessed DEMONIACS. 

On the promptings of Sister Madeleine Bavent, 18 
nuns were possessed, allegedly as a result of bewitchment 
by Mathurin Picard, the nunnery’s deceased director, and 
Father Thomas Boulle, vicar at Louviers. According to 
Bavent, Picard was bewitching the nuns from his grave 
and causing them to become possessed. This, in turn, 
was due to certain questionable spiritual practices previ- 
ously associated with the convent. The bishop of Evreaux 
ordered Picard’s body to be exhumed. 

Bavent confessed to authorities that the two clergymen 
had taken her to a witches’ SABBAT, where she married 
the DEMON Dagon and committed horrible and obscene 
acts with him on the altar. (See BLACK Mass.) During the 
orgy, she told, babies were strangled and eaten, and two 
men who had attended out of curiosity were crucified and 
then disemboweled. Dagon disturbed the peace of some 
of the other nuns as well, and all showed the classic signs 
of possession: contortions, unnatural body movements, 
glossolalia (talking in unknown languages), insults, blas- 
phemies, and the appearance of strange wounds, which 
just as quickly vanished. 

One writer who observed the exorcisms tells that one 
young nun “ran with movements so abrupt that it was dif- 
ficult to stop her. One of the clerics present, having caught 
her by the arm, was surprised to find that it did not pre- 
vent the rest of her body from turning over and over as if 
the arm were fixed to the shoulder merely by a spring.” 

Besides seducing the nuns to unspeakable sexual acts, 
SATAN tried to lead the nuns of Louviers down heretical 
roads as well. According to the account of the proceed- 
ings at Louviers published in 1652 by Father Bosroger, 
the Devil, appearing as a beautiful ANGEL, engaged the 


Lucifer 153 


nuns in theological conversations, cleverly spoken and so 
charming that the nuns began to doubt what they were 
taught, meekly protesting that what the Devil told them 
had not been revealed by their teachers. Satan replied that 
he was a messenger of heaven, sent to speak the divine 
truth and reveal the errors in established dogma. PACTs 
with the Devil were made. 

As in Loudun, the exorcisms were public and became 
more of a circus than a holy ritual. Nearly everyone was 
questioned and harassed by the inquisitors, and the 
whole town of Louviers exhibited hysteria as the cries of 
the nuns rose with the tortured screams of Father Boulle. 
In the end, the parliament at Rouen passed sentence: Sis- 
ter Madeleine was imprisoned in the church dungeon, 
and Father Boulle was burned alive. The dead Picard was 
convicted and his decomposing corpse was burned. 

Boulle became the model for a character in La-bas, J. K. 
Huysmans’ 1891 novel about satanic decadence in Paris. 


i oy / 


Lucifer (AUTHOR'S COLLECTION) 


FURTHER READING: 

Certeau, Michel de. The Possession at Loudun. Translated by 
Michael B. Smith. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 
2000. 

Ferber, Sarah. Demonic Possession and Exorcism in Early Mod- 
ern France. London: Routledge, 2004. 


Lucifer FALLEN ANGEL sometimes equated with SATAN. 
In Latin, Lucifer means “light bringer,” and he originally 
was associated with Venus, the morning star. Lucifer’s 
identity as a prideful angel cast out of heaven with his 
followers—who became DEMONs—rests mainly on leg- 
end and poetic literature, such as in the works of Dante 
and John Milton. 

The sole biblical reference to Lucifer occurs in Isaiah 
14:12: “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son 
of Dawn!” The reference is probably to the boastful king 
of Babylon, a prediction of the fall of Babylon and its king. 


154 Luciferian witchcraft 


Jerome’s translation of the Bible, the Latin Vulgate, made 
Lucifer the chief fallen angel. His rebellion against God 
with the sin of pride caused him and his followers to be 
cast from heaven. The fallen angels lost their beauty and 
power and became demons. 

2 Enoch, also called the Slavonic Apocalypse of 
Enoch, names the leader of the fallen as SATANAEL (Sata- 
nail). The text may date to the late first century, although 
some scholars believe it to be of medieval origin, because 
it exists only in Slavonic. 

According to the text, God creates the ranks of angels 
on the second day of creation, shaping them out of a great 
fire cut off from rock. He gives them clothing of burn- 
ing flames and fiery weapons. He gives orders that each 
one should stand in his own rank. God tells the prophet 
Enoch: 


But one from the order of the archangels deviated, 
together with the division that was under his authority. 
He thought up the impossible idea, that he might place 
his throne higher than the clouds which are above the 
earth, and thus he might become equal to my power. 


And I hurled him out from the height, together with his 
angels. And he was flying around in the air, ceaselessly, 
above the Bottomless. 


Lucifer has received most attention in Christianity. In 
the early years of Christianity, the name was sometimes 
applied to Christ as the light bearer. The early church fa- 
ther Origen, who lived in the second and third centuries, 
equated Lucifer and Satan; later, Augustine and Jerome 
were among those who followed suit. By the Middle Ages, 
both Lucifer and Satan were used as names for the DEVIL. 
Lucifer could apply to the Devil in either his prefall or 
postfall state. Milton’s Paradise Lost and Dante’s Inferno 
strengthened the connection of Lucifer to Satan. 

In Mormonism, Lucifer (Helel in Hebrew) is a brilliant 
and powerful archangel, a son of Elohim (God the Father) 
and brother to Yahweh (God the Son, Jehovah, or Jesus) 
and to all of the children of Elohim including all of the 
souls of humanity. Lucifer became obsessed with pride 
and attempted to take over Elohim’s family and subvert 
the Father’s plan for his children. A struggle of wills en- 
sued, and Lucifer and his followers lost. They are exiled 
to Earth and are permitted to tempt people. When Elo- 
him’s purpose has been fulfilled, Lucifer and his demons 
will be exiled to the “Outer Darkness,” completely cut off 
from divine light and love. 

In the hierarchies of demons in magical lore, Lucifer 
is emperor of HELL and ranks above Satan, one of his lieu- 
tenants. When conjured, he appears as a beautiful child. 
Lucifer rules Europeans and Asiatics. 

In the 19th century, Leo Taxil, a Frenchman who 
excelled in occult hoaxes, perpetrated the fraud that 
Freemasonry was associated with worship of Lucifer. Al- 
though the hoax was thoroughly exposed, Taxil contin- 
ues to be cited by opponents of Freemasonry. 


Lucifer and the souls of sinners (AUTHOR’S COLLECTION) 


Some modern occultists and satanists see Lucifer as 
an archangel of light who will incarnate in human form at 
key times to confer enlightenment and redemption. 


FURTHER READING: 

Kelly, Henry Ansgar. A Biography of Satan. New York: Cam- 
bridge University Press, 2006. 

The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vols. 1 & 2. Edited by 
James H. Charlesworth. 1983. Reprint, New York: Dou- 
bleday, 1985. 

Russell, Jeffrey Burton. Lucifer: The Devil in the Middle Ages. 
Ithaca, N.Y., and London: Cornell University Press, 1984. 

Luciferian witchcraft See WITCHCRAFT. 

Lucifuge Rofocale The prime minister of LUCIFER. 

Lucifuge Rofocale is featured only in one text, the Grand 

Grimoire, a French magical handbook of black magic 

written in the 17th or 18th century (see GRIMOIRES). The 

book is especially significant for its feature of a specific 

PACT between a magician and Lucifuge Rofocale for the 

purpose of securing the services of DEMONS. Rocofale may 


Lucifuge Robcale 155 


be an anagram of Focalor, a demon named in the Lemege- 
ton, a major grimoire. 

The Grand Grimoire states that if the magician cannot 
master a magic circle and a blasting rod for controlling 
demons, then a pact is necessary. A pact cannot be made 
with the three highest demons—Lucifer, BEELZEBUB, and 
ASTAROTH—but only with one of their lieutenants. It pro- 
vides a Grand Conjuration for summoning Lucifuge Ro- 
focale, who is a reluctant and obstinate spirit who must 
be forced to appear with the use of the blasting rod and 
threats of CURSEs. 

According to the Grand Grimoire, when Lucifuge Ro- 
focale appears, he demands that in exchange for his ser- 
vices, the magician “give thyself over to me in fifty years, 
to do with thy body and soul as I please.” After more bar- 
gaining that involves threats from the magician to send 
him into eternal fire with the blasting rod, the demon 
agrees to appear twice a night except on Sundays and 
makes a written conditional pact with the magician. He 
recognizes the authority of the magician and his grimoire, 
agrees to grant requested services if properly summoned, 
and demands certain services and payment in return, on 
penalty of forfeiture of the magician’s soul: 


I also approve thy Book, and I give thee my true signa- 
ture on parchment, which thou shalt affix at its end, to 
make use of at thy need. Further, I place myself at thy 
disposition, to appear before thee at thy call when, being 
purified, and holding the dreadful Blasting Rod, thou 
shalt open the Book, having described the Kabbalistic 
circle and pronounced the word Rocofale. I promise thee 
to have friendly commerce with those who are fortified 
by the possession of the said Book, where my true sig- 
nature stands, provided that they invoke me according 
to rule, on the first occasion that they require me. I also 
engage to deliver thee the treasure which thou seekest, 
on condition that thou keepest the secret for ever invio- 
lable, art charitable to the poor, and dost give me a gold 
or silver coin on the first day of every month. If thou 
failest, thou art mine everlastingly. 

LUCIFUGE ROFOCALE IMPRIMATUR 


The reference to the “Book” is the spurious Fourth 
Book, a grimoire attributed to Henry Cornelius Agrippa. 

The Grand Grimoire tells how to make a pact with Lu- 
cifuge Rofocale, which must be signed by the magician 
with his own BLOOD. The magician collects the follow- 
ing tools: a wand of wild hazel (not a blasting rod), a 
bloodstone, and two blessed candles. He goes to an iso- 
lated place either indoors or outdoors—the depths of a 
ruined castle are ideal. He makes a magic triangle with 
the bloodstone and enters it, holding his written pact, the 
Grand Conjuration of the Spirit, the hazel wand, the gri- 
moire, and the discharge for dismissing the demon once 
business is concluded. He first conjures Lucifer, Beelze- 
bub, and Astaroth to ask them to send Lucifuge Rofocale 
for the purpose of entering into a pact. When the demon 
finally appears, this exchange takes place: 


Lucifuge Rofocale (AUTHOR’S COLLECTION) 


Manifestation of the Spirit 
Lo! I am here! What dost thou seek of me? Why 
dost thou disturb my repose? Answer me. 


LUCIFUGE ROFOCALE 


Reply to the Spirit 
It is my wish to make a pact with thee, so as to obtain 
wealth at thy hands immediately, failing which I will 
torment thee by the potent words of the Clavicle. 


The Spirits Reply 
I cannot comply with thy request except thou dost 
give thyself over to me in twenty years, to do with 
thy body and soul as I please. 


LUCIFUGE ROFOCALE 


Thereupon throw him your pact, which must be 
written with your own hand, on a sheet of virgin 
parchment; it should be worded as follows, and 
signed with your own blood: —I promise the grand 
Lucifige to reward him in twenty years’ time for all 


156 Luther, Martin 


the treasures he may give me. In witness thereof I 
have signed myself 


N.N. 


Reply of the Spirit 
I cannot grant thy request. 


LUCIFUGE ROFOCALE 


In order to enforce his obedience, again recite the 
Supreme Appellation, with the terrible words of the 
Clavicle, till the spirit reappears, and thus addresses 
you: — 


Of the Spirit’s Second Manifestation 


Why dost thou torment me further? Leave me to 
rest, and I will confer upon thee the nearest trea- 
sure, on condition that thou dost set apart for me 
one coin on the first Monday of each month, and 
dos not call me oftener than once a week, to wit, 
between ten at night and two in the morning. Take 
up thy pact; I have signed it. Fail in thy promise, 
and thou shalt be mine at the end of twenty years. 


LUCIFUGE ROFOCALE 


FURTHER READING: 
Waite, Arthur Edward. The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts. 
1899. Reprint, York Beach, Me.: Samuel Weiser, 1972. 


Luther, Martin (1483-1546) Founder of Protestant- 
ism and the Protestant Reformation. For much of his life, 
Martin Luther was concerned with the influence and 
action of evil and the DEVIL in the world. 

Luther was born on November 10, 1483, in Eiselben, 
Germany, the oldest son of Johan and Margarita (Marga- 
rethe) Luther, a wealthy Catholic couple. He was given the 
name Martin because the feast of St. Martin occurred on 
the day after he was baptized. In 1484, the family moved 
to Mansfeld. Martin was given a good education as his 
father hoped that he would become a lawyer. Luther tried 
to follow that path and studied law at the University of 
Erfurt but felt no heart in it and left. He joined the Augus- 
tinian order in Erfurt in 1505 and devoted himself to an 
austere monastic life. 

Luther became increasingly disenchanted with Ca- 
tholicism, especially the church’s practice of selling indul- 
gences. In 1516, the church undertook a major campaign 
to sell indulgences to raise money to refurbish St. Peter's 
Cathedral in Rome. Luther felt strongly that forgiveness 
for sins could not be purchased; it could be obtained only 
directly from God. 

Luther developed his arguments and on October 31, 
1517, supposedly posted them as Ninety-five Theses by 
nailing them to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg. 
The story may be more legend than fact, for Luther never 
commented about nailing anything to a church door, and 


the story arose after his death. However, he did write a 
letter to his superiors on that date, denouncing the sale of 
indulgences. The letter included the Ninety-five Theses. 

The document aroused instant sensation, and quickly 
spread throughout Germany, and was translated into 
other languages. He was in demand as a public speaker, 
and he spoke out against the corruption he saw in the 
church. 

The church, under Pope Leo X, was slow to respond. 
Leo dismissed Luther as “a drunken German” and thought 
the fuss would soon die down. Instead, a movement grew. 
In 1519, Leo demanded an explanation from Luther of his 
theses. Luther responded, and the pope summoned him 
to Rome. Frederick II, the Saxon elector, intervened and 
attempted to arrange a compromise. 

In 1520, Leo issued a bull demanding that Luther re- 
cant 41 points in his writings, including the Ninety-five 
Theses, or be excommunicated. On December 20, 1520, 
Luther publicly burned the bull in defiance. Leo excom- 
municated him on January 3, 1521. The Diet of Worms 
declared him an outlaw, banned his works, and called 
for his arrest. Luther disappeared into exile, sheltered 
at the castle of Frederick III at Wartburg. He secretly 
returned to Wittenberg in 1521 and preached several 
sermons about trust in God and Christian values. He 
opposed the use of violence to spread the gospel and 
to further the ends of the church. At the time, the In- 
quisition was gaining force, witchcraft was considered a 
heresy, and fears about demonic interference and PACTs 
were rampant. 

In 1523, Luther helped a group of nuns to escape from 
a Cistercian convent in Nimbschen by hiding them in 
herring barrels. He fell in love with one of them, Katha- 
rina von Bora, and married her in 1525. He was 42 and 
she was 26. They made a former monastery their home 
and tilled the land to earn a living. They had five children 
and enjoyed a happy marriage. 

Despite Luther’s opposition to violence, Protestantism 
became embroiled in other factors of social and political 
unrest. In 1524, the Peasants’ War broke out, with lower 
classes revolting against the upper classes, many of them 
believing that religious reform would lead to other re- 
forms as well. Luther refused to support the revolt, and 
the peasants were quelled in 1525. 

Luther was opposed to Jews throughout his life, call- 
ing them “the Devil’s people” and worse. His anti-Semi- 
tism is believed by some scholars to have influenced the 
Nazi movement centuries later. The Lutheran Church re- 
pudiates his anti-Jewish views today. 

During his later years, Luther suffered from a variety 
of health problems, and his health steadily declined. He 
preached his last sermon, against the Jews, on February 
15, 1546, and died three days later, after suffering chest 
pains and a stroke. 

In developing his reformist ideas, Luther devoted more 
attention to the Devil than had been seen in Christianity 


lutin 157 


since the early days of the religion. He believed firmly in 
predestination, that a human being has no free will but 
can follow only the will of God for good or the will of 
SATAN for evil. God embraces both good and evil. God is 
good but allows, even wills, evil. God uses the Devil to 
weed out the unworthy; therefore, the Devil is actually 
the servant of God. Even though God allows evil, God 
fights evil at every opportunity. 

From childhood, Luther felt attacked by DEMONs 
and evil spirits; attacks increased as he grew older and 
reached great intensity while he was exiled at Wartburg 
and was at work on translating the Bible into German. 
He attributed his mood swings and depressions to the 
operations of demons, as well as his ongoing health 
problems. He said he combated them with prayer and 
“happy song.” Reportedly, he was pestered one night by 
the Devil and drove him away by throwing his inkwell 
at him. An ink stain remained in his room at the cas- 
tle for a long time. He also said that he drove the Devil 
away with ink, which may have been a reference to his 
writings. 

He was completely believing of the evil nature and 
powers of witches and their allegiance to the Devil, stat- 
ing, “I should have no compassion on these witches; I 
would burn all of them. We read in the old law that the 
priests threw the first stones at these malefactors. ... 
Does not witchcraft, then, merit death, which is a revolt 
of the creature against the Creator, a denial to God of the 
authority which it accords to the demon?” 

Luther said his mother had been harassed by a witch, 
who had cursed him and his siblings to cry themselves to 
death. The CURSE was broken by a preacher who collected 
the witch’s footprints and threw them into a river. 

Luther believed that witches shape shifted into ani- 
mal forms and flew through the air to SABBATs. The Devil 
caused diseases, he said, by making them appear to have 
natural causes. Many physicians do not realize this, he 
said, and should add faith and prayer to their medical 
treatments. All mentally ill people are under POSSESSION 
by the Devil, Luther said, and are possessed with God’s 
permission. They are capable of blasting crops, brewing 
tempests and storms, and causing pestilence, fires, fevers, 
and severe diseases. 

He said people do engage in pacts with the Devil to fur- 
ther their selfish gains, but there is always a heavy price 
to pay. He related a case of a sorcerer in Erfurt who tried 
to escape his poverty by making such a pact. The Devil 
gave him a crystal for divination, which the sorcerer used 
to become rich. But he accused innocent people of theft 
and was arrested. He confessed to his pact and repented 
but was burned at the stake anyway. 

Luther also said the Devil raped maidens bathing in 
water and impregnated them, then took their infants and 
exchanged them for others, much as in lore of the FAIRIES 
and their changelings. The changelings never lived be- 
yond 18 or 19 years of age. 


According to one story, the Devil himself visited 
Luther while he was studying at the University of Wit- 
tenberg. He arrived disguised as a monk and asked for 
Luther’s advice on “papal errors.” The “monk” continued 
interrogating Luther, who grew impatient. Then Luther 
saw that his visitor had hands like bird talons, and he 
ordered him to depart. The Devil gave out a great stinking 
fart and left. The stench lasted for days. 

Luther performed at least one EXORCISM, on a pas- 
tor from Torgau who went to him for advice. The Devil 
had been tormenting him for a year, the pastor said, by 
throwing around pots and dishes, breaking them, and 
laughing at him while remaining invisible. The pastor’s 
wife and children wanted to move. Luther told him to 
have patience and to pray. He ordered the demon to 
depart. 

Luther also believed that as one advances in faith, the 
Devil increases attacks upon him. He felt this in his own 
life, enduring physical distress, poltergeist disturbances, 
and mental interferences that he attributed to the Devil. 
He considered the pope to be the ANTICHRIST. 

After the start of the Reformation, tales circulated that 
Luther had been born of the Devil, a common accusa- 
tion levied against religious and political enemies of all 
kinds. According to one, the Devil disguised himself as 
a merchant of jewelry and went to Wittenberg, where he 
encountered Margarita, his mother, and seduced her. Af- 
ter Luther’s birth, the Devil counseled him in how to ad- 
vance himself in the world. He did well at school, became 
a monk, ravished a nun, and then rejected his monastic 
life. He went to Rome, where he was treated poorly by 
the pope and his cardinals. He asked his father how to 
exact revenge and was told to write a commentary upon 
the Lord’s Prayer. The commentary vaulted him into the 
spotlight, and he became the chief purveyor of the heresy 
that became Protestantism. 


FURTHER READING: 
Bainton, Ronald. Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther. New 
York, Penguin, 1995. 
Lea, Henry Charles. Materials toward a History of Witchcraft. 
Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1939. 
Russell, Jeffrey Burton. Mephistopheles: The Devil in the Mod- 
ern World. Ithaca, N.Y., and London: Cornell University 
Press, 1986. 

Weyer, Johann. On Witchcraft (De praestigiis daemonum). 
Abridged. Edited by Benjamin G. Kohl and H. C. Erik 
Midelfort. Asheville, N.C.: Pegasus Press, 1998. 


lutin French name for a hobgoblin common in French 
folklore and fairy tales. The lutin is either male or female; 
a female is called a lutine. The lutin is comparable to 
house spirits such as brownies, and to elves, fairies, 
gnomes, imps, leprechauns, pixies, and sprites. 

The lutin has a trickster nature. It can choose to be 
invisible. In some tales, it becomes invisible by donning a 
red cap with two feathers. 


158 lutin 


French immigrants to Quebec, Canada, spread lutin 
lore there. Lutins are fond of taking animal forms, espe- 
cially pets and common animals such as rabbits, and also 
especially white animals. Lutins can control the weather 
and be either good or bad. Good lutins will perform per- 


sonal services, while bad lutins will cause domestic up- 
sets, misplace objects, and make messes. 

Salt spilled on the ground or floor will prevent lutins 
from crossing it. 

See SINISTRARI, LODOVICI MARIA. 


Macariel DEMON and wandering duke of the air. 
Macariel has 12 chief dukes, who have 400 servants, all 
good-natured and willing to obey an EXORCIST. They 
appear in many forms, most commonly a dragon with a 
virgin head. The 12 chief dukes are Claniel, Drusiel, 
Andros, Charoel, Asmadiel, Romyel, Mastuet, Varpiel, 
Gremiel, Thuriel, Brufiel, and Lemodac. 


magic A superior power created by the combining of 
inner power with supernatural forces and beings such as 
ANGELs and DEMONs. The term magic is derived from 
Greek, either from megus, which means “great” (as in 
“great” science); from magein, referring to Zoroastrian- 
ism; or from magoi, referring to a Median tribe in Iran 
recognized for its magical skills and known to the 
Greeks. Many systems of magic exist, each with its own 
procedures, rules, and proscriptions. 

Magic lies at the heart of all esoteric and occult tra- 
ditions and is found in mystical and religious teachings. 
Through magic, a person can cause inner change and 
change in the physical world. High magic has a spiritual 
nature. Low magic, such as spell casting, is a form of 
SORCERY. 

Magic had its beginnings in humankind’s earliest 
attempts to control its environment, survival, and des- 
tiny, either by controlling natural forces or by appealing 
to higher powers for help. The anthropologist Bronislaw 
Malinowski defined magic as having three functions and 
three elements. The three functions are to produce, to 


159 


protect, and to destroy. The three elements are spells and 
incantations, rites or procedures, and altered states of 
consciousness accomplished through fasting, meditating, 
chanting, visualizing symbols, sleep deprivation, danc- 
ing, staring into flames, inhaling fumes, taking drugs, 
and so forth. 

Magic is practiced universally by skilled individuals 
who either are born into their powers or train themselves 
to acquire powers. Magic is not inherently good or evil but 
reflects the intent of the magician. The ethical and moral 
uses of magic have always been ambiguous. Evil magic 
is associated with sorcery and WITCHCRAFT. Throughout 
history, people and authorities have had an uneasy rela- 
tionship with magic, depending on it and tolerating its 
practice and at the same time condemning it. Magic is 
both part of religion and a competitor of religion. It has 
been regarded as a science and has been discredited by 
science. In modern times, however, science is providing 
evidence in support of magic. 

Magical phenomena exist in a realm of liminality, a 
blurred borderland that is neither in the material world 
nor in the spiritual world but in both simultaneously. 
Liminality is a term coined by the anthropologist Arthur 
van Gennup to refer to the condition of being “betwixt 
and between.” The word is from limen, or “threshold.” 
Change, transition, and transformation are conditions 
that are conducive to psi and the supernatural. Magic 
ritual—and ritual in general—exposes the ordinary, 
predictable world to the instability of the liminal world. 


160 magic 


Strange things happen. The liminal realm is considered 
to be a dangerous, unpredictable one. Individuals such 
as magicians thus are dangerous because they work in 
this uncertain world. As adepts, they are themselves the 
agents of change and even chaos. 


Magic Influences 

The Western magical tradition is rich and complex, 
evolving from a mixture of magical, mystical, philosophi- 
cal, and religious sources. It incorporates the low magic 
of spells and divination, the dark magic of sorcery and 
witchcraft, and the high magic of spiritual enlightenment 
that is closer to mysticism than to spell casting. There are 
several major streams of influence. 


Egyptian magic Magic played an important role in an- 
cient Egypt, and the magic of the Egyptians became 
important in the development of Western ritual magic. 
Egyptian priests were skilled in magical arts of spell cast- 
ing, divination, necromancy, making of amulets and tal- 
ismans, procuring and sending of dreams, use of magical 
figures similar to poppets, and use of magic in the prac- 
tice of medicine. Illnesses were believed to be caused by 
a host of demons who controlled various parts of the hu- 
man body; thus cures involved ExoRCISMs. The mummi- 
fication of the dead was done according to precise ritual 
magic to ensure safe passage to the afterlife. The Egyptian 
Book of the Dead is a magical handbook of preparation 
for navigation through judgment into Amenti, the under- 
world domain of Osiris, lord of the dead. In Hellenistic 
times, Egyptian magic was mixed with classical magic. 

Especially important to Egyptian magic was the 
proper use of words and names of power. Some incanta- 
tions involved strings of names, some incomprehensible, 
borrowed from other cultures. 


Greek and Roman magic The Greek and Roman worlds 
teemed with magic. Power was channeled from a host 
of sources: deities, spirits called DAIMONes, celestial in- 
telligences, and the dead. Everything was connected by 
sympathetic bonds, which allowed magical action at a dis- 
tance. The Hermetic principle that the microcosm reflects 
the macrocosm (“As above, so below”) was espoused in 
variations by Pythagoreans, Platonists, and Stoics. 

All magical arts were practiced; the Greeks were espe- 
cially interested in destiny and devoted great attention to 
the prophecy of oracles and to the fate forecast by the stars 
in a horoscope. Both Greeks and Romans practiced nu- 
merous forms of divination, especially lot casting and the 
examination of signs in nature. Dreams were consulted, 
especially for healing. Cursing one’s competitors and en- 
emies was routine in daily life. Incantations involved long 
strings of magical words, often nonsensical, which had to 
be precisely pronounced along with the correct gestures. 

An exalted form of magic, theurgia, had religious over- 
tones and was akin to ritual magic. The Neoplatonists fa- 
vored theurgia, believing they could summon divine pow- 
ers to Earth and enable their souls to ascend to heaven. 


In Natural History, Pliny asserts that all magic origi- 
nated in medicine, in the search for cures. The magi- 
cal workings of the heavens, especially the Moon, both 
caused and cured illnesses. In addition, demons flying 
through the air and shooting arrows stirred up poisonous 
vapors that caused plagues and pestilence. 


Jewish magic The early Jews were steeped in magical lore, 
much of which was borrowed and adapted from the magi- 
cal practices of the Canaanites, Babylonians, Egyptians, 
and, later, Hellenistic-Gnostic influences. Magic was not 
organized into systems; rather, it was a collection of be- 
liefs and practices chiefly concerning protection from de- 
mons and the procuring of blessings. As early as the first 
century C.E., magical lore was attributed to the wisdom of 
King SOLOMON. This lore provided the basis for the later 
GRIMOIRE the Key of Solomon, the most important of the 
old handbooks of Western magic. 

According to Jewish lore, the magical arts were taught 
to human by ANGELS, chiefly the WATCHERS, who fell from 
God’s grace when they departed heaven to cohabit with 
human women. The gift was dubious, for the Tanakh— 
the Old Testament—condemns sorcery, the use of spirits 
and various forms of magic, such as enchantment, shape 
shifting, divination, mediumship, and necromancy. 

Talmudic law reinterpreted sorcery. Magic requiring 
the help of demons was forbidden and was punishable by 
death. Magic that did not require the help of demons was 
still forbidden but received lesser punishments. The dis- 
tinction between the two often was not clear. Later, the 
use of mystical names of God and angels and verses of 
Scripture were incorporated into incantations. 

Magic was organized into systems around 500 C.E., 
about the same time as the development of Merkabah 
mysticism, a precursor to the KABBALAH. Merkabah mys- 
tics performed elaborate rituals of purification, contem- 
plation of the sacred and magical properties of letters and 
numbers, the recitation of sacred names, and the use of 
AMULETs, SEALS, and TALISMANs. The trance recitation of 
long incantations of names was similar to the Egyptians’ 
“barbarous names,” in that many were corruptions of 
names of deities and angels. 

By the Middle Ages, Jewish magic depended almost 
entirely on the use of names and interventions of spir- 
its. The Kabbalah, a body of esoteric teachings dating 
to about the 10th century and in full bloom by the 13th 
century, does not forbid magic but warns of the dangers 
of it. Only the most virtuous persons should perform 
magic and do so only in times of public emergency and 
need, never for private gain. How strictly these admo- 
nitions were followed is questionable. A practical Kab- 
balah of magical procedures developed from about the 
14th century on. Kabbalists were divided on the issue 
of whether or not one could invoke demons as well as 
angels. 

Black magic is called “apocryphal science” in the Kab- 
balah. It is strictly forbidden, and only theoretical knowl- 


magic 161 


edge is permitted. Those who choose to practice it be- 
come sorcerers in the thrall of FALLEN ANGELS. 

By the Middle Ages, Jews were renowned among Chris- 
tians as magical adepts. These adepts were not profes- 
sional magicians but were rabbis, doctors, philosophers, 
teachers, and students of oral transmission of mystical 
and esoteric knowledge. 


Christian magic As did Judaism, Christianity held par- 
adoxical attitudes toward magic. In general, magic was 
looked upon with disfavor, as the practices of non-Chris- 
tians that interfered with the new religion. Manipulative 
“low” magic was forbidden, but helpful magic, such as for 
healing, was practiced within certain limits. Jesus per- 
formed magical acts, but they were cast as miracles made 
possible by his divine nature. The early church fathers 
especially opposed divination, which took one’s destiny 
out of the hands of God. 

Christian magic emphasized nature, such as herbal 
lore, and placed importance on mystical names. But the 
body of Christ, as represented by the Eucharist, held the 
greatest magic, as did the name of Jesus and relics (body 
parts and possessions) of saints. 

Medieval Europe was rife with magic of all sorts: folk 
practitioners, wizards, cunning men and women, alche- 
mists, and others. The practical Kabbalah, Hermetic prin- 
ciples, Gnostic and Neoplatonic lore, Christian elements, 
and pagan elements joined in syncretic mixtures. A West- 
ern Kabbalah emerged that became the basis for West- 
ern ritual magic. Magical handbooks called grimoires 
circulated. 

The medieval church frowned upon magic of all sorts: 


e divination of all kinds 

e conjuration of spirits 

e necromancy 

e weaving and binding magic, in which spells were 
imbued into knots and fabric 

e love magic and any other magic involving potions, 
poppets, and so forth 

e magical medical remedies 


The populace relied on the folk magic of local prac- 
titioners, called by many names, such as cunning men, 
witches, and wizards. Many possessed natural healing and 
psychic abilities and practiced homegrown magic passed 
down orally through generations. The church tolerated 
magic that was adequately Christianized, such as through 
the substitution of the names of Jesus, Mary, and angels 
for those of pagan deities and spirits; the use of the cross, 
holy water, and the Eucharist; and incantations that were 
more like prayers. 

Folk magicians were often feared, and if their spell 
casting or divination failed, they were persecuted. Any 
bad luck was liable to be blamed on the black magic or 
witchcraft of a rival or enemy. 

The Inquisition capitalized on fear. In 1484, Pope In- 
nocent VIII declared witchcraft heretical, making the per- 


secution of any enemy of the church easy. Witchcraft was 
not merely black magic, but was DEVIL worship, service to 
SATAN’s grand plan to subvert souls. A “witch craze” swept 
Europe and reached across the Atlantic to the American 
colonies. Thousands of persons were executed. 

The witch hysteria died in the advance of the scientific 
revolution of the 17th century. Though many great scien- 
tists of the day were versed in alchemy and the principles 
of magic, the importance of the latter two declined. 


The occult revival and modern magic In the 19th century, 
a revival of interest in occultism and magic occurred, 
centered in and spreading out from France through Eli- 
phas Levi, Papus (Gerard Encausse), and others. Levis 
works were particularly influential and were translated 
into English by Arthur Edward Waite. Levi drew together 
the Kabbalah, Hermeticism, and magic as the three occult 
sciences that lead to truth. He described the Kabbalah as 
the “mathematics of human thought,” which answers all 
questions through numbers. Magic is the knowledge of 
the secret laws and powers of nature and the universe. 

In the late 19th century, magical fraternities and 
lodges rose in prominence, the best known of which was 
the esoteric Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in Eng- 
land. The Golden Dawn was founded by Rosicrucians and 
Freemasons who were also familiar with the Eastern phi- 
losophy taught by the Theosophical Society. It was not 
originally intended to be a magical order. It taught only 
theoretical magic in its outer order, but eventually its in- 
ner order taught and practiced the magical arts as well 
as rituals of high magic. The rituals systematized by the 
Golden Dawn influenced much of the magical work that 
was yet to unfold. 

A considerable contribution to ritual magic was made 
by ALEISTER CROWLEY, who was already well versed in 
the subject by the time he was initiated into the Golden 
Dawn in 1898. The Golden Dawn could not contain 
Crowley’s oversized personality, and he was expelled 
two years later. 

His most significant magical innovation is his Law of 
Thelema: “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the 
Law.” The Thelemic law was dictated to an entranced 
Crowley in 1909 in Egypt by a spirit named Aiwass, 
an emissary of the god Horus. The Book of the Law lays 
out the emergence of the New Aeon of Horus, for which 
Crowley was to be the chief prophet. Everything springs 
from the Thelemic law, and magic is the “art and science 
of causing change to occur in conformity with Will.” The 
individual is sovereign and responsible only to himself or 
herself. The proper use of will raises the individual to the 
highest purpose, not a selfish purpose. 

Crowley had numerous dealings with spirits, includ- 
ing demons (see CHORONZON). 

From the 20th century on, there have been cycles of 
revival of popular interest in magic. Influences are fiction, 
television (especially reality TV) and film, the growth of 
Wiccan and Pagan spiritual traditions (which emphasize 


162 magic 


working with positive spirits for benevolent purposes), 
and popular fascination with paranormal investigations 
of haunted places. Practitioners engage in a wide variety 
of magical activities. Some are derived from folk magic 
and involve spell casting; others involve the conjurations 
of spirits; some are paths of spiritual development. 


Types of Magic 

Though magic itself is neutral, practitioners often distin- 
guish between good, or white, magic and bad, or black 
magic, though such distinctions are subjective. The oc- 
cultist Franz Bardon divided magic into three types: 


e Lower magic, which deals with the laws of nature 
and control of forces in nature, such as the elements 

e Intermediate magic, which deals with the laws of 
human beings in the microcosm and how the micro- 
cosm can be influenced 

e Higher magic, which deals with the universal laws 
of the macrocosm and how they can be controlled 


Other types of magic are known by their distinguish- 
ing characteristics. 


Folk magic Folk magic comprises local traditions of sim- 
ple magic for the purposes of casting spells for healing, 
luck, protection, and so forth. Folk magic blends other 
forms of magic, often with mixed religious elements. Folk 
magic remedies and prescriptions are handed down in 
oral traditions and in small handbooks. 


Natural magic Natural magic is based on nature, such as 
herbs, stones, crystals, the commanding of the elements 
and the influences of planets and stars. Natural magic 
draws on the inherent magical properties of things. Phil- 
ters, potions, powders, ointments, and so forth, are based 
on natural magic recipes, combined with folk magic in- 
cantations and CHARMS. 


Sympathetic magic Sympathetic magic is spell casting 
through associations that establish a sympathetic connec- 
tion for the flow of power. One of the best-known sym- 
pathetic magic tools is the poppet, a doll that substitutes 
for a person. The connection is strengthened by attaching 
photographs, hair, or personal objects of the victim to the 
doll. Whatever is done to the doll happens to the person. 

Anything can be used to establish a sympathetic con- 
nection. The best items are from a person’s body, such as 
hair and nail clippings. Personal possessions or any ob- 
ject handled by a person can be used. A gift can be magi- 
cally charged and enter into a home or place as a magical 
Trojan horse. 

Australian aborigines put sharp pebbles or ground 
glass in the footprints of enemies as sympathetic magic 
to weaken and destroy them. The Ojibwa use a straw ef- 
figy to drive evil spirits away from their communities. If 
a member has a dream of disaster, a straw man is erected 
that substitutes for the trouble. The people eat, smoke 
tobacco, and ask for blessings. They attack the straw ef- 


figy, shooting it and clubbing it until it is in pieces. The 
remains are burned. 


Ceremonial magic Ceremonial magic, also called high 
magic and ritual magic, involves systems of spiritual devel- 
opment. Practitioners learn to access and travel in other- 
dimensional realities, including the astral plane, and to 
experience spirits and otherworldly beings. The emphasis 
is on self-mastery and union with the godhead. The initi- 
ate must develop inner plane contacts with gods, angels, 
and other entities. Some modern branches of ceremonial 
magic incorporate scientific principles and elements, such 
as chaos theory, which attempts to identify the system or 
pattern behind seemingly random occurrences. 


Composite magic Composite magic, also called practi- 
cal magic, combines various religious influences, for ex- 
ample, Christian and Jewish elements, with folk magic. 
Composite magic is found in grimoires. Composite magic 
has practical purposes, such as conjuring and spell cast- 
ing for information, healing, attainment of goals and ob- 
jectives, and even hexes and CURSES. 


Black magic Black magic is used for malevolent purposes, 
to harm or kill. According to tradition, black magic is 
accomplished with the aid of demonic entities. Another 
term for it is goetic magic, or goetia. 

Levi said in The History of Magic, “Black Magic may 
be defined as the art of inducing artificial mania in our- 
selves and in others; but it is also above all the science of 
poisoning.” 

Arthur Edward Waite termed black magic as the ut- 
terance of words and names of power for “unlawful pur- 
poses” and “the realm of delusion and nightmare, though 
phenomenal enough in its results.” It involves commun- 
ing with demons and evil spirits for material gain or 
harmful purpose. 

Black magic is associated with sorcery and witchcraft. 
The Christian Church associated all pagan and folk magic 
with “black magic.” 


White magic White magic is used for positive goals: 
healing, blessings, good luck, abundance, and so forth. 
White magic can involve any form of magic when used 
for beneficence. 


FURTHER READING: 

Bardon, Franz. Initiation into Hermetics: A Course of Instruc- 
tion of Magic Theory and Practice. Wuppertal, Germany: 
Dieter Ruggeberg, 1971. 

Butler, E. M. Ritual Magic. Cambridge: Cambridge University 
Press, 1949. 

Flint, Valerie I. J. The Rise of Magic in Medieval Europe. Princ- 
eton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1991. 

Gray, William G. Western Inner Workings. York Beach, Me.: 
Samuel Weiser, 1983. 

Hall, Manly P. The Secret Teachings of All Ages. Los Ange- 
les: Philosophic Research Society, 1977. First published 
1928. 


Maid of Oidlach Bssession 163 


Hansen, George. The Trickster and the Paranormal. New York: 
Xlibris, 2001. 

Knight, Gareth. The Practice of Ritual Magic. Albuquerque: 
Sun Chalice Books, 1996. 

Kraig, Donald Michael. Modern Magick: Eleven Lessons in the 
High Magickal Arts. 2nd ed. St. Paul, Minn.: Llewellyn, 
2004. 

Levi, Eliphas. The History of Magic. 1860. Reprint, York 
Beach, Me.: Samuel Weiser, 2001. 

Luck, Georg. Arcana Mundi: Magic and the Occult in the Greek 
and Roman Worlds. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University 
Press, 1985. 

Malinowski, Bronislaw. Magic, Science and Religion. Garden 
City, N.Y.: Doubleday Anchor Books, 1948. 

Regardie, Israel. The Golden Dawn. 6th ed. St. Paul, Minn.: 
Llewellyn, 1989. 

Thomas, Keith. Religion and the Decline of Magic. New York: 
Scribners, 1971. 


Maid of Orlach Possession (1831) The most remark- 
able POSSESSION case from the files of the German mes- 
merist Justinus Kerner. The Maid of Orlach was a 
dairymaid over whom a White Spirit and a Black Spirit 
fought for control. The spirits were those of a sinning 
nun and a murderous monk. In the end, a house had to 
be destroyed to get rid of the possessing DEMON. The 
account of the maid is in Kerner’s 1834 book Geschichten 
Besessener neurer Zeit (Histories of Modern Possession). 

Strange events began in February 1831 at the farm home 
of a Lutheran peasant named Grombach, who lived in the 
tiny village of Orlach, Wurtemberg, Germany. The activity 
centered in the cowhouse and involved his daughter, Mag- 
dalene, the “maid.” First, the cows were affected and polter- 
geist phenomena occurred. The cows would be mysteriously 
tied to new spots, and their tails were braided. Grombach 
kept watch but caught no visible person in the act. 

Magdalene one day received a sharp blow to one of her 
ears that sent her cap flying. From February 8 through 
February 11, mysterious fires broke out in the cow house. 
Then, Magdalene heard a child whimpering in the cottage 
house, but none could be seen. 

A shadowy gray apparition of a woman appeared to 
Magdalene against a wall in the cow house. The spirit, 
which became known as the White Spirit, said the fires had 
been caused by an evil spirit, but that she had protected 
the family. She said that 400 years earlier, she had been a 
14-year-old girl who was sent against her will to a convent, 
where she had committed a sin she could not reveal. She 
told Magdalene that the house must be destroyed by March 
5 the following year. It told her, “Flee from the house! Flee 
from the house! If it is not pulled down before the fifth of 
March of the coming year a misfortune will happen to you 
... promise me that you will do it!” The girl agreed. 

The White Spirit appeared frequently to the maid un- 
til May. It also spoke in religious language and prayed the 
112th Psalm. It read Magdalene’s thoughts and accurately 
predicted future events. No one but she could see it. 


In May, the White Spirit announced that she would 
not be able to visit for some time, and Magdalene would 
be persecuted by the Black Spirit, her evil companion. 
Magdalene should never answer him, no matter what 
happened. 

The Black Spirit took various guises, such as frogs, a 
black cat, dogs, a headless horse, and disembodied male 
voices that followed the maid, mocking her. Then, it be- 
gan showing up as a monk, tempting her with questions. 
The Black Spirit sometimes imitated the voices of neigh- 
bors in order to trick the girl into answering, but she held 
fast in her silence to him. 

A bag of coins mysteriously appeared in the barn, and 
the Black Spirit said he put it there to compensate the 
maid for the box on the ear. Soon, the White Spirit ap- 
peared and told the maid that the money must be given 
to the poor. It was. 

After this, the Black Spirit intensified his attacks on 
Magdalene. He appeared as a bear on July 15 and threat- 
ened to plague her if she would not answer him. From 
then on, he appeared in various monstrous, animalistic 
shapes, promising her money and threatening her with 
torture. 

On August 21, the Black Spirit appeared as a horrible 
animal with its neck in the middle of its body. The maid 
fainted and was unconscious for several hours. The faint- 
ing episodes happened again on the following days. She 
could answer questions while entranced but could not re- 
member anything when she awakened. She said that the 
Black Spirit came upon her and then disappeared when 
the White Spirit arrived. 

On August 23, the White Spirit said she would pro- 
tect Magdalene from harm but urged her to proceed with 
demolishing the family’s house, to end her suffering. The 
spirit said that the Black Spirit would take complete pos- 
session of her, but that she, the White Spirit, would take 
Magdalene away to a place of safety when that happened. 
These developments finally prompted Magdalene’s father 
to begin tearing down the house. 

Beginning on August 25, Magdalene fell under inten- 
sified attacks from the Black Spirit, who was able to take 
over her body and speak through her mouth. A descrip- 
tion of the manner of possession is as follows: 


In the midst of her work she would see the figure of a 
man clothed in a monk’s frock, which seemed to be made 
from black mist, approach and say, when she refused to 
answer his questions: “Now I will enter thy body in spite 
of thee.” Then she always felt him tread on her left side, 
seize her with five cold fingers at the back of the neck 
and then enter her body. She lost consciousness and 
individuality. Her voice was no longer her own, but that 
of the monk’s. The speeches which she uttered when 
in this state were worthy of a demon. Magdalene lay 
during the whole time with her head sunk towards her 
left side, and her eyes firmly closed; if the eyelids were 
raised the pupils would be discovered upwards. The left 


164 Maillat Possession 


foot constantly moved up and down upon the ground 
throughout the attack, which frequently lasted four or 
five hours. 


TRAUGOTT KONSTANTIN OESTERREICH stated of these 
occurrences: 


He (the possessing spirit) speaks of her, he knows quite 
well that she is alive, but he pretends that she is not there, 
but it is he who is there, and he pours out abuse and cal- 
umnies against the girl herself, whom he never calls any- 
thing except “the sow.”. . . During these fits the spirit of 
darkness now utters through her words worthy of a mad 
demon, things which have no place in this true-hearted 
maid, curses upon the Holy Scriptures, the Redeemer, 
and all the saints. 


Her transformation of personality was so marked, said 
Oesterreich, that it was “exactly as if a stronger man drove 
the owner from his house and looked out of the window 
at his ease, making himself at home.” 

Magdalene’s head would move from side to side while 
the Black Spirit was in her and then flop to the right when 
it left. If a Bible was placed nearby, the Black Spirit hissed 
like a SERPENT and tried to spit on it. 

Magdalene remembered nothing from the attacks, ex- 
cept a faint memory of having attended church, presum- 
ably the way she perceived the protection of the White 
Spirit. Her left foot always went cold during the attacks, 
while her right foot stayed warm. But upon awakening, 
she could walk normally and felt nothing wrong with ei- 
ther foot. 

Magdalene was taken to doctors, who said she had 
a natural illness and prescribed pills or medications, 
but none helped her. Finally Grombach took her to see 
Kerner. He tried magnetic passes two or three times, but 
the Black Spirit immediately neutralized them with coun- 
termovements of the girl’s hands. Kerner recommended 
prayer and a sparse diet. Magdalene did not respond to 
those, either, but Kerner was confident the matter would 
resolve itself according to the White Spirits promise of a 
cure by March 5. 

Word spread about the girl’s afflictions, and crowds 
would gather to watch her when she was possessed. 

On March 4, the day before the White Spirit’s dead- 
line, the White Spirit appeared to the maid at six in the 
morning. She confessed her sins: She had been seduced 
by the monk who was now the Black Spirit and had lived 
with him. When she tried to reveal his wickedness, he 
had murdered her. While the spirit spoke, a phantom 
black dog appeared and spit fire. The White Spirit reached 
her hand toward the maid, who touched it with a hand- 
kerchief. The cloth sparkled and then exhibited holes that 
matched a palm print. 

The White Spirit said she was now freed from earthly 
concerns and said farewell. The maid was taken to a 
neighbor’s house, where the Black Spirit took possession, 
during which the girl ate no food. A huge crowd gathered 


to witness this and to question the demon, which gave 
accurate answers. 

DELIVERANCE occurred when the Black Spirit prayed 
during the night of March 4 and for the first time could 
say the words JESUS, Bible, church, and heaven. He con- 
fessed all of his crimes, including murders. He said there 
is a reckoning after death, and he must appear at the judg- 
ment seat a second time after he departed the maid. 

The last wall of the Gromlach cottage was destroyed 
at 11:30 on the morning of March 5. The Black Spirit left 
Magdalene in an astounding transformation back to radi- 
ant health. She was never troubled again. 

Old bones were found in the debris of the house, in- 
cluding those of children, who people assumed were the 
victims of the monk. 


FURTHER READING: 

Oesterreich, Traugott K. Possession and Exorcism. Secaucus, 
NJ: University Books, 1966. 

Stead, W. T. Borderland: A Casebook of True Supernatural Sto- 
ries. Hyde Park, N.Y.: University Books, 1970. 


Maillat Possession (1598) Case of Loyse Maillat, a 
young French DEMONIAC whose story of POSSESSION led to 
a mass witch hunt in the Burgundy region of France, 
presided over by one of the most ruthless judges and 
witch hunters, Henri Boguet. 

Eight-year-old Loyse Maillat was the daughter of 
Claude and Humberte Maillat, who lived in the village of 
Coyriéres, Perche. On June 5, 1598, Loyse suddenly lost 
the use of her arms and legs and had to move about on 
all fours with her mouth twisted in a strange way. When 
the condition did not clear up, her parents assumed her 
to be possessed and took her on June 19 to the Church of 
Our Savior for EXORCISM. Five DEMONs called Wolf, Cat, 
Dog, Jolly, and Griffon identified themselves. Asked by 
the priest who caused her problem, Maillat pointed to a 
woman, Francoise Secretain, who was among those in at- 
tendance. The demons did not depart. 

Back home, Loyse asked her parents to pray for her, to 
deliver her from the demons. They complied, and after a 
period of praying, Loyse said that two of the demons were 
dead, and the others would follow if they kept praying. 
The parents prayed all night. 

In the morning, Loyse’s condition was worse. She 
foamed at the mouth and had seizures. She fell to the 
ground, and the devils emerged from her mouth in the 
form of fist-size balls. Four of them were red as fire, and 
Cat was black. Three issued forth with great violence, 
and the two that Loyse had said were dead emerged with 
less force. The demons danced three or four times around 
the fire and departed, and, from then on, Loyse’s health 
improved. 

Loyse and her parents told judges, including Boguet, 
how and why Loyse came to be possessed. For her young 
age, Loyse was quite convincing in her testimony. Her 
parents backed up her account. Secretain, a poor woman 


Makhlath 165 


of good repute, had gone to the Maillat home on June 4 
asking for lodging. Humberte was alone, and she refused 
at first, but Loyse persuaded her to change her mind. Af- 
ter Secretain was admitted, Humberte went out to tend 
to their cattle. Loyse and her two sisters sat by the fire. 
Secretain gave Loyse a crust of bread the color of dung 
and told her to eat it, and not speak of it to anyone, or 
Secretain would kill her and eat her. The next day, the 
child was possessed. 

Secretain was imprisoned and for three days vehe- 
mently maintained her innocence. She prayed incessantly 
with a rosary, which Boguet said later was “defective,” and 
thus usable by a witch. Boguet observed that she shed no 
tears, a certain sign of witches, according to prevailing 
belief. He had her tortured. She was stripped naked and 
shaved of body hair to search for a DEVIL'S MARK, but none 
was found. When the inquisitors started to cut off the hair 
from her head, she broke down and began confessing. For 
days, she added to her confessions as the pressure contin- 
ued. Her seven principal confessions were the following: 


° She had sent five devils into Loyse Maillat. 

e She had for a long time served the DEVIL, who 
appeared to her in the form of a black man. 

° She had copulated with the Devil four or five times. 
Sometimes, he was in the form of a dog, a cat, or a 
fowl. His semen was very cold. 

e She had attended SABBATs countless times at a place 
called Combes, near the water, and near Coyriéres. 
She traveled to them through the air on a white staff 
she placed between her legs. 

e She danced at the sabbats and beat water to cause 
hail. 

e She and an accomplice, a man named Groz-Jacques 
Boquet, had murdered a woman, Loys Monneret, by 
making her eat a piece of bread dusted with a pow- 
der given to them by the Devil. 

e She had caused several cows to die by touching 
them with her hand or a wand and uttering certain 
words. 


Secretain named others, thus enabling Boguet to 
launch a mass witch hunt. She and many of the accused 
were sent to the stake to be burned alive. 

For Boguet, the Maillat case served his purpose to 
demonstrate that witches had the ability to send demons 
into the bodies of victims. In his book Discours des Sor- 
ciers (An Examen of Witches), he cites a long list of sup- 
porting cases in which people sent demons into others. 
Even God and St. Paul had done this. In Psalm 78, God 
sent “evil angels” among people to punish them. St. Paul 
sent SATAN into several heretics. 

Boguet commented that God allowed such innocents 
to become possessed in order for his works and justice to 
shine more gloriously. The case, he said, “led to the dis- 
covery of countless witches who have been punished as 
the gravity of their crimes deserved.” 


FURTHER READING: 
Boguet, Henri. An Examen of Witches: Discours Excrable des 
Sourciers. London: John Rodker, 1929. 


Maillot, Thomas (16th century) French official who 
resisted entering into a PACT with the DEVIL in order to 
procure love, according to the French demonologist 
NICHOLAS REMY. The account of Thomas Maillot is related 
in Remy’s book Demonolatry (1595) and is retold by the 
demonologist FRANCESCO-MARIA GUAZZO in Compendium 
Maleficarum (1608). 

In youth, Maillot fell in love with a girl of high no- 
bility, far above his social station. He was the son of a 
tradesman and had no wealth. For all practical purposes, 
he had no hope of even declaring his love for her, let alone 
winning her hand in marriage. 

Maillot heard about a German fellow servant who had 
the services of a DEMON and sought out his help. The Ger- 
man was elated; he was in need of a victim, for part of his 
pact with the demon was to recruit someone to take over 
his demonic debt or have his neck broken. He told Maillot 
to meet him at twilight the next day in a secret chamber. 

When Maillot arrived, a beautiful and seductive young 
woman (the demon in disguise) met him and promised 
to deliver the marriage he desired in exchange for some 
promises. The requirements sounded innocent and pious 
on the surface: Maillot should avoid all thieving, drunken- 
ness, lust, wrongdoing, blasphemy, and vices. He should 
practice devotion, help the poor, fast twice a week, observe 
all holy days, pray daily, and be a good Christian. If he 
would bind himself by oath to this, the demon said, then 
he would win the noble girl as a bride. Maillot was given a 
few days to consider this offer and make his answer. 

At first, Maillot thought this to be the perfect deal: 
love in exchange for piety that he should practice anyway. 
But the more he thought about it, the more he doubted 
the reliability of a demon. Demons were known to trick 
people in order to claim their souls. 

A priest Maillot knew sensed his trouble and inquired 
about his visible distress. Maillot told him and was per- 
suaded by the priest to drop all communication and deal- 
ings with the demon. He complied and declined the pact. 

Shortly thereafter, the German, having failed to finda 
substitute for his debt to the demon, fell off his horse, hit 
his head, and was killed instantly, thus experiencing the 
consequences of his failure. 

Maillot, who presumably gave up his love for the no- 
ble girl, later in life became governor of a province in Lor- 
raine. Remy swore that the story was true and that it was 
confirmed to him by Maillot himself. 


FURTHER READING: 
Remy, Nicholas. Demonolatry. Secaucus, N.J.: University 
Books, 1974. 


Makhlath In Jewish demonology, a powerful female 
DEMON. Makhlath (dancer) and her daughter, AGRATH, 


166 Malgaras 


are in constant warfare with LILITH. Makhlath com- 
mands 478 hosts of evil spirits. She and Agrath meet Lil- 
ith and battle on the Day of Atonement. While they 
quarrel, the prayers of Israel are able to rise to heaven. 


Malgaras DEMON among the 31 AERIAL SPIRITS OF SOL- 
OMON. Malgaras rules in the west and has dozens of 
dukes serving him both day and night. His servants are 
courteous and appear in pairs, along with their own ser- 
vants. His 12 major servants of the daytime are Camiel, 
Meliel, Borasy, Agor, Casiet, Rabiel, Cabiel, Udiel, Opriel, 
Masiel, Barfas, and Arois. His 12 major dukes of the 
nighttime are Aros, Doiel, Cubi, Liblel, Raboc, Aspeil, 
Caron, Zamor, Amiel, Aspara, Deilas, and Basiel. 


Malleus Maleficarum (Witch Hammer) The most 
influential and important witch hunter’s guide of the 
Inquisition. Published first in Germany in 1487, the Mal- 
leus Maleficarum was translated into dozens of editions 
throughout Europe and England and was the leading ref- 
erence for witch trials on the Continent for about 200 
years. It was adopted by both Protestant and Catholic 
civil and ecclesiastical judges. It was second only to the 
Bible in sales until John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress was 
published in 1678. The book gives instructions for inter- 
rogating, trying, and punishing accused witches and 
details the nature, characteristics, and behavior of 
DEMONs and the DEVIL. 

Fourteen editions were published by 1520; another 16 
editions appeared by 1669. By the end of the 17th century, 
there were more than 30 editions. The book became the 
definitive guide by which inquisitors and judges conducted 
themselves and that subsequent writers used as a founda- 
tion for their own works. The book was important in the 
way it linked witchcraft to heresy. It has been described in 
the centuries since as a vicious and cruel work, the most 
damaging book of its kind during the Inquisition. 


Authorship 

The Malleus Maleficarum is credited to the authorship of 
two Dominican inquisitors, Heinrich Kramer and James 
Sprenger, though historians now believe that it was writ- 
ten by Kramer, by far the more zealous of the two and one 
of the most zealous participants in the entire Inquisition. 
Kramer and Sprenger were empowered by Pope Innocent 
VIII in his bull of December 9, 1484, to prosecute witches 
throughout northern Germany. The papal edict was in- 
tended to quell Protestant opposition to the Inquisition 
and to solidify the case made in 1258 by Pope Alexan- 
der IV for the prosecution of witches as heretics. It was 
the opinion of the church that the secular arm, the civil 
courts, were not punishing enough witches solely on the 
basis of their evildoing. 

Both Kramer and Sprenger were prolific writers. 
Kramer, also known as Institoris, the latinized version of 
his name, rose to power as an inquisitor and was known 
to have framed some of his victims. He was violently op- 


posed to witchcraft and seemed also to harbor hatred 
against women, whom he viewed as inherently weak 
and evil. He sought to establish a direct connection be- 
tween women and diabolic witchcraft. Some historians 
also think that Kramer was reacting to broader senti- 
ments of the time that were responses to the influences of 
holy women and mystics such as St. Catherine of Siena, a 
powerful figure consulted by royalty and heads of state. 
He did praise the saintliness of certain holy women who 
were able to resist the lustful temptations indulged in by 
witches, in his view. 

Sprenger was a distinguished friar, and he may have 
allowed Kramer to use his name in Kramer’s virulent an- 
tiwitch treatise, Apologia auctoris in Malleus Maleficarum, 
written by 1485. He had some association with Kramer in 
trials of accused witches. 

Kramer's treatise was absorbed into the Malleus Ma- 
leficarum. After its publication, evidence surfaced that 
Kramer may have fabricated one of the official letters 
authorizing the work. Relations between Kramer and 
Sprenger became strained. After Sprenger died in 1496, 
his colleagues attempted to distance his legacy from 
Kramer. 

Little is known about Kramet’s activities after publi- 
cation of the Malleus in 1487 until his death in 1505. He 
remained an inquisitor. In 1500, Pope Alexander VI ap- 
pointed him papal nuncio and inquisitor of Bohemia and 
Moravia. He was pursuing witches and heretics in Bohe- 
mia at the time of his death. 


Contents 

The Malleus is based on the biblical pronouncement “Thou 
shall not suffer a witch to live” (Exodus 22:18) and draws 
on Scripture and the works of Aristotle, St. Augustine, 
and St. Thomas Aquinas as support. It maintains that 
because God acknowledged witches, to doubt witchcraft 
is heresy. The book is divided into three parts and orga- 
nized as questions answered by opposing arguments. 

Part 1 concerns how the Devil and his witches, with 
“the permission of Almighty God,” perpetrate a variety 
of evils upon men and animals, including succubi and 
incubi, instilling hatred, obstructing or destroying fertil- 
ity, and causing the metamorphosis, or shape shifting, of 
human beings into beasts. God permits these acts; other- 
wise, the Devil would have unlimited power and destroy 
the world. 

Part 2 describes how witches cast spells and bewitch- 
ments and do their evil and how these actions can be 
prevented or remedied. Particular emphasis is given to 
Devils PACTs, a key to proving heresy. The existence of 
witches and their maleficia is treated as unassailable fact, 
and wild stories of SABBATs and other abominations are 
presented as truth. Most of the stories are from the in- 
quisitions conducted by Sprenger and Kramer and from 
material of other ecclesiastical witchcraft writers. 

Part 3 sets forth the legal procedures for trying witches, 
including the taking of testimony, admission of evidence, 


Marie desVallees 167 


methods of interrogation and torture, and guidelines for 
sentencing. Judges are instructed to allow hostile wit- 
nesses because everyone hates witches. Torture is to be 
applied if the accused do not confess voluntarily. Judges 
are permitted to lie to the accused, promising them mercy 
if they confess, a tactic readily employed by Kramer. This, 
the text argues, is all done in the best interest of soci- 
ety and the state. The Malleus allows for light sentences 
of penance and imprisonment in certain cases but urges 
execution of as many witches as possible. Most of the in- 
structions on sentencing pertain to death. 

Some questions are not answered clearly and contra- 
dictions abound. For example, the authors say that the 
Devil, through witches, mainly afflicts good and just 
people, then says only the wicked are vulnerable. At one 
point, judges are said to be immune to the bewitchments 
of witches; at another, witches cast spells over judges 
with the glance of an eye, and judges are admonished to 
protect themselves with salt and sacraments. 

The Malleus Maleficarum was refuted by JOHANN 
WEYER. 


FURTHER READING: 

Herzig, Tamar. “Witches, Saints and Heretics.” Magic, Ritual, 
and Witchcraft. Summer 2006, 24-55. 

The Malleus Maleficarum of Heinrich Kramer and James 
Sprenger. New York: Dover, 1971. 


Malphas (Malpas) FALLEN ANGEL and 39th of the 72 
SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. Malphas is a powerful president in 
HELL who appears first as a crow and then, when com- 
manded, as a human who speaks in a hoarse voice. He 
skillfully builds houses and high towers and brings down 
the temples and towers of enemies. He will bring deceiv- 
ers together quickly. He destroys the desires, thoughts, 
and accomplishments of anyone’s enemies. Malphas gives 
good FAMILIARs. He will receive a sacrifice kindly but 
then deceive the one who offers it. Malpas commands 40 
legions of DEMONs. 


Mammon FALLEN ANGEL who rules in HELL as an arch- 
demon and prince of tempters. The name Mammon in 
Aramaic means “riches.” He embodies the second of the 
SEVEN DEADLY SINS, avarice. Mammon is equated with 
LUCIFER, SATAN, and BEELZEBUB. He serves as hells 
ambassador to England. 


mandragora DEMON who appears in the shape of a little 
man with no beard and thin hair. Mandragoras also are 
small poppets, or dolls, that are inhabited by the DEVIL 
and used in spell-casting. According to lore, mandragoras 
can predict the future by nodding their head, and can con- 
verse with their owners. They bestow good health, curing 
of disease, and protection of homes against evil. 


Marbas (Barbas) FALLEN ANGEL and fifth of the 72 
SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. Marbas is a president in HELL who 


rules 36 legions of DEMONs. He appears first as a lion but 
will change into a man. He knows about hidden and 
secret things. He causes and cures diseases. He imparts 
wisdom and knowledge of the mechanical arts. He can 
change men into different shapes. 


Marchosias FALLEN ANGEL and 35th of the 72 SPIRITS 
OF SOLOMON. Marchosias is a marquis ruling 30 LEGIONs 
of DEMONs. He appears as a cruel she-wolf with griffin 
wings and a serpent’s tail, with fire spewing from his 
mouth. He will take a human form if commanded to do 
so. He is a strong fighter. He faithfully serves the magi- 
cian and gives true answers to all questions. Once a 
member of the angelic order of dominions, Marchosias 
holds the futile hope that he will return to the Seventh 
Throne in Heaven after 1,200 years. 


Marie des Vallees (1590-1656) French girl of Cout- 
ances, France, whose lifelong struggle with POSSESSION 
led to her cult recognition as a local mystic. Marie des 
Vallees was possessed for 44 of her 66 years and was 
called the Saint of Coutances. 

Marie was born to a peasant family in Saint-Sauveur- 
Landelin in the diocese of Coutances in Lower Normandy. 
Her father, Julien, died when she was 12. Her mother, Jac- 
quelin Germain, married a butcher, who beat Marie with 
a stick. The abuse forced her to leave home, and she wan- 
dered for two years living with different people. In 1609, 
she was living with a female tutor when the symptoms of 
demonic possession manifested. 

According to Marie, who shared details of her life with 
St. Jean Eudes, who was inspired by her, the cause of her 
possession was a witch’s CURSE. A young man proposed 
to her and she turned him down. He sought the help of 
a witch to force her to love him. Soon after, he pushed 
against her while they were in a procession for the feast 
of St. Mercouf, and she felt lustful stirrings within her. 
When she went home, she fell down and uttered “terrible 
cries.” From then on, Marie was in the grip of DEMONs. 
She found it difficult to pray or attend church. 

Marie never disclosed the name of the young man 
but said that he left the parish permanently. The witch, 
known as “La Grivelle,” was later burned at the stake on 
unrelated charges of WITCHCRAFT. 

Another version of the possession cause was publi- 
cized by one of Marie’s critics, who said that her problem 
started after she indulged in a “lascivious and sacrilegious 
dance” with a young man in a cemetery on a feast day. 

Regardless, once Marie was afflicted, her problems 
increased. After three years of unrest and near-sleepless 
nights, her adopted family took her to Bishop Briroy, the 
bishop of Coutances, to seek his advice. Doctors could 
not help her. The bishop tried for three years to exorcise 
the demons but failed. 

In 1614, Marie went to Rouen, to undergo EXORCISMs 
by the archbishop and several doctors. The demons 


168 Martin, Malachi Brendan 


promised to leave at a certain time but did not. When 
asked why, they said that a local gentleman was using 
witchcraft to prevent them from leaving. Outraged at this 
accusation, the nobleman denounced Marie as a witch, 
and she was arrested. 

Marie was held in prison for six months. She was 
shaved and searched for a DEVILS MARK by being pricked 
with needles. She was “matroned,” a test for virginity. It 
was believed that witches had intercourse with demons 
and the DEVIL, and so if she were indeed a witch, she 
would not be a virgin. Marie passed the virginity test and 
was released. 

She turned the situation to her advantage by express- 
ing compassion for witches and desiring to take on the 
punishments for all their crimes. She wore a pigskin shirt 
with bristles and a horsehair ceinture and fasted. From 
1617 to 1619 she said she descended into a state of HELL 
during which she suffered all the tortures inflicted upon 
witches. She said that witches gathered around her and 
accused her of sins she did not commit and added to her 
suffering. 

Marie displayed common signs of possession, such as 
revulsion toward holy objects and the inability to take 
communion. She tried to commit suicide by stabbing her- 
self with a knife but said that God stopped her by stiffen- 
ing her arm. 

Marie never expressed a desire to be free of demons 
and used her possession to advance herself as a saintly 
person. She enjoyed great patronage but also was contro- 
versial and was severely criticized. She operated outside 
the church. In 1651, a local church tribunal declared that 
she had been fooled by the Devil and had entered into a 
PACT with him. 

In 1655, Marie’s possession left her. For the first time 
in 30 years, she was able to take communion. She died in 
1656. 


FURTHER READING: 
Ferber, Sarah. Demonic Possession and Exorcism in Early Mod- 
ern France. London: Routledge, 2004. 


Martin, Malachi Brendan (1921-1999) Catholic theo- 
logian and EXORCIST. Malachi Martin, a former Jesuit, 
gained popular fame with book about POSSESSION and 
EXORCISM, Hostage to the Devil (1976). In all, he wrote 
more than 60 religious books, including fiction. 

Martin was born on July 23, 1921, in Ballylongford, 
county Kerry, Ireland. He was educated at Belvedere College 
in Dublin and became a Jesuit novice in 1939. He received 
a bachelor’s degree in Semitic languages and Oriental his- 
tory from the National University of Ireland and studied 
Assyriology at Trinity College Dublin. He studied theol- 
ogy at the University of Louvain in Belgium and earned a 
doctoral degree there. In addition, he studied at Oxford in 
England and at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. 

Martin was ordained a Jesuit priest on August 15, 1954, 
and served the Holy See in Rome from 1958 to 1964. He 


was also professor at the Pontifical Biblical Institute of the 
Vatican. Martin was gravely concerned about corruption 
within the church. In 1964, Pope Paul VI released Martin 
from his vows of poverty and obedience, but not chastity, 
and ordered him to report directly to the pope or one of 
his designates. He continued as a lay priest and did not 
wear a collar in public. 

Martin pursued a literary career. He also participated 
in several exorcisms and became an expert on posses- 
sion. He went to live in Paris and then New York City, 
where he lived with a wealthy Greek-American family by 
the name of Livanos. 

In the late 1970s, the New York City serial killer David 
Berkowitz (“son of Sam”) invited Martin to write his auto- 
biography, but Martin declined. 

In 1990, Martin published a nonfiction book, Key of 
This Blood, in which he referred to diabolic rites and ac- 
tivities in the Vatican. More on papal satanic forces was 
included in his 1996 novel, Windswept House, which de- 
scribes a BLACK Mass ritual called “The Enthronement of 
the Fallen Archangel Lucifer.” Martin said the ceremony 
had actually occurred prior to the election of Pope Paul 
VI. The pope later made a comment that “the smoke of 
Satan has entered the Sanctuary.” 

Martin is best known for Hostage to the Devil. He be- 
lieved that forces of evil are at work in the world, mani- 
festing in possession and in satanic child abuse. His book 
acquainted the general public with the signs and stages of 
possession, and the manner in which formal exorcisms 
are undertaken. During the 1990s, Martin was an occa- 
sional guest on Art Bell’s Coast to Coast AM radio show. 

Martin died at age 78 on July 27, 1999, after a second 
stroke and fall in his apartment in Manhattan. His funeral 
wake took place in St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic 
Chapel of West Orange, New Jersey. He is buried in Gate 
of Heaven Cemetery, in Hawthorne, New York. 

At the time of his death, he was working on a book 
about the Vatican’s involvement in the New World Order. 


Mary of Nemmegen A 16th-century fictional tale of a 
woman's seduction by the DEvIL and her ultimate 
redemption and triumph over him. 

Mary of Nemmegen was published at the beginning of 
the 16th century in Antwerp. The identity of the author 
is uncertain, but is believed to be Ann Binns or Byns. The 
story appeared at a time when women were seen as weak 
vessels easily used by demonic forces. The triumph of 
Mary is a female version of FAUST, but she stands in stark 
contrast to the equally weak but doomed male counterpart 
in the Christopher Marlowe drama Dr. Faustus, written in 
the same period, and later in Johann Goethe’s Faust. 

According to the story, Mary lives in the land of 
Gelders. One day, while shopping in Nemmegen, she 
is caught by encroaching darkness and does not have 
enough time to return home before nightfall. She calls 
at the home of her uncle and aunt for shelter. The aunt 


Mastema 169 


refuses to let her in. Mary, loaded with heavy parcels, is 
in despair. She cries out that she cares not whether God 
or the Devil will help her. 

The Devil answers her call. He appears in the guise of 
an ugly, one-eyed young man. The Devil cannot embody 
perfection but must be defective in some way. He intro- 
duces himself to Mary as a “man of many sciences.” If she 
will promise to be his paramour, he will teach her all his 
knowledge, as well as shower her with gifts of gold and 
silver and love her above all women. In addition, she must 
give up her name, because “for one Mary [the Blessed Vir- 
gin] I and all my fellowship fare the worse,” he tells her. 

Mary agrees, effectively making a PACT with the Devil. 
She asks also to be taught magic and spell casting so that 
she can raise spirits, but the Devil dissuades her from 
this. 

She becomes known as Emmekyn. She takes up with 
the Devil, and they go to different cities, including An- 
twerp. Emmekyn dazzles people with the knowledge 
she has been given, and men vie for her favor, even kill- 
ing each other in their rivalries. Emmekyn enjoys it all, 
but she never loses her connection to her namesake, the 
Blessed Virgin Mary. 

Meanwhile, the aunt, in a fit of temper influenced by 
the Devil, self-administers punishment for turning her 
niece away and cuts her own throat and dies. 

After seven years of a dissipated lifestyle, Emmekyn 
grows bored and persuades the Devil to leave Antwerp 
and return to Nemmegen. They arrive on the day of a tra- 
ditional procession and pageant for the Blessed Virgin. 
The sight of it causes Emmekyn to repent. 

The Devil carries her high up into the air and casts 
her down, hoping to break her neck. But God does not al- 
low it. Emmekyn falls into the street before many people, 
including her uncle, a priest, to whom she makes confes- 
sion. He tells her, “There is nobody lost without the fall 
in despair.” She then has an audience with the pope to 
seek absolution. Interestingly, she confesses only to her 
material sins and not to the desire to have learning and 
knowledge. 

The pope gives her a heavy penance: She must wear 
three iron rings around her neck and arms. After two 
years, the rings miraculously fall away, showing that God 
has indeed forgiven her. 

In a Dutch dramatic version of the story, an inset of the 
PROCESSUS SATHANE play is added. Masscheroen, the advo- 
cate for the Devil, petitions God for justice, arguing that 
the sinfulness of humankind should be judged the same as 
that of the FALLEN ANGELs. He says that God has become 
too lenient, and people have become increasingly wicked. 
God acknowledges that he may be right, and Masscheroen 
claims the right for the Devil to act as God’s avenger. The 
Virgin Mary intervenes and makes a compassionate ap- 
peal to God for mercy. Mary wins the case. 

Mary of Nemeggen shows that no matter how far one 
falls from grace, there is always the hope of redemp- 


tion and God’s forgiveness. Faust, on the other hand, is 
doomed to HELL beyond all hope once he makes his pact 
and falls into sin. 


FURTHER READING: 

De Bruyn, Lucy. Woman and the Devil in Sixteenth-Century 
Literature. Tisbury, England: Bear Book/The Compton 
Press, 1979. 


Maseriel DEMON among the 31 AERIAL SPIRITS OF SOLO- 
MON. Maseriel serves CASPIEL and rules in the west. He 
has a great number of servants both day and night, each 
of whom has 30 servants. Maseriel’s 12 major daytime 
dukes are Mahue, Roriel, Earviel, Zeriel, Atniel, Vessur, 
Azimel, Chasor, Patiel, Assuel, Aliel, and Espoel. The 12 
major nighttime dukes are Arach, Maras, Noguiel, Sae- 
miet, Amoyr, Bachile, Baros, Ellet, Earos, Rabiel, Atriel, 
and Salvor. 


maskim Seven Sumerian DEMONs who are great princes 
of HELL or princes of the abyss, considered to be among 
the most powerful of all. Maskim means “ensnarer” or 
“layers of ambush.” Azza, AZAZEL, and MEPHISTOPHELES 
are among the maskim. 

Sumerian descriptions of the maskim say they are 
neither male nor female, they take no wives and have no 
children, they are “strangers to benevolence,” and they 
pay no attention to prayers or wishes. They live either on 
mountaintops or in the bowels of the earth. 

The maskim have the power to affect the earth and the 
cosmic order. They can cause earthquakes and alter the 
courses of the stars in the sky. They do not like humans 
and attack them with the most severe evil and spells. 
Masscheroen See PROCESSUS SATHANE. 

Mastema (Mastemah, Mansemat) ANGEL of evil, hos- 
tility, adversity, and destruction; the accuser; a prince of 
DEMONS and injustice. The proper name Mastema has the 
same root as the Hebrew noun that means “hostility,” its 
use in two references in the Old Testament (Hosea 9:7-8). 

According to lore, Mastema once was the Angel of the 
Lord who delivered the punishments of the Lord and be- 
came demonized. 

In 10 references in Qumran texts, Mastema is equated 
with BELIAL, whose purpose is to destroy. He also is de- 
scribed as existing between the Prince of Light and the 
Angel of Darkness and ruling the children of falsehood. 
He leads the children of righteousness astray. 

In Jubilees, Mastema is the only angel named and is 
equated with the Angel of Hostility. His origins are not 
explained, though he is equated with SATAN and is the 
prince of evil beings who menace and harass human- 
kind. As a SATAN, Mastema urges God to test Abraham 
with the sacrifice of his son, Isaac. Mastema also aids the 
Egyptians in opposition to Moses and tries to kill him. He 
helps the pharaoh’s magicians compete with Moses and 


170  mazzigqin 


Aaron. His demons lead the sons of Noah astray to com- 
mit sin, idolatry, and pollution. 

One legend holds that Mastema asked God to give him 
some demons so that he might have power over human- 
kind; God gave him one-tenth of the fallen ones to be 
under his command. 


FURTHER READING: 

Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible. 2nd ed. Edited by 
Karel van der Toorn, Bob Becking, and Pieter W. van der 
Horst. Grand Rapids, Mich.: William B. Eerdmans, 1999. 


mazziqin In Jewish lore, evil spirits who injure. The 
mazziqin are divided into two classes. One class com- 
prises FALLEN ANGELs who are led by SATAN. The second 
class are half-spirit and half-human hybrids, divided into 
two subclasses. One subclass includes the night terrors 
such as LILITH and her hordes. The second class is the 
SHEDIM, the offspring of Lilith or a SUCCUBUS and men. 


McKenna, Bishop Robert (1927— ) Dominican bishop 
at Our Lady of the Rosary Chapel in Monroe, Connecti- 
cut. Bishop Robert McKenna has performed EXORCISMs, 
including at the haunted house known as the SMURL 
HAUNTING in Pennsylvania, and in Warren, Massachu- 
setts, featured in the book Satan’s Harvest (1990). He has 
worked with ED AND LORRAINE WARREN, JOHN ZAFFIS, and 
other lay demonologists. McKenna was ordained a priest 
in 1958 and a bishop in 1986. He has said that many offi- 
cials in the church do not wish to believe that the DEVIL 
exists, or, if they do believe, they do not want to become 
involved with him. McKenna has retired from performing 
exorcisms. 


Menadiel DEMON and wandering duke of the air. Men- 
adiel has 20 dukes and 100 companions under his com- 
mand, plus many other servants. The demons must be 
summoned according to planetary hours. Six chiefs 
dukes are Larmol, Drasiel, Clamor, Benodiel, Charsiel, 
and Samyel. The six lesser dukes are Barchiel, Amasiel, 
Baruch, Nedriel, Curasin, and Tharson. 


Menghi, Girolamo (1529-1609) Franciscan friar and 
leading EXORCIST of the Italian Renaissance. Girolamo 
Menghi wrote extensively on demonology and EXORCISM 
prior to the codification of exorcism rites in Pope Paul 
V’s RITUALE ROMANUM in 1614. 

Menghi was born in 1529 in Viadana, Mantua, Italy. 
At age 20, he entered the Franciscan order of the Frati 
dell’Osservanza in Bologna, where he studied theology. 
He became famous as a preacher and was named superior 
of a Franciscan province in 1598. 

An excellent scholar and writer, he authored numer- 
ous theological books, the most famous of which were on 
DEMONs and exorcism: Flagellum daemonum (The Devil’s 
Scourge), 1576; Compendio dell’arte essorcistica, 1576; Re- 
media probatissima in lamignos spiritus expellendos (1579); 


and Fustis daemonum (Club against demons), 1584. His 
books were immediately successful, especially Compen- 
dio and Flagellum. Menghi considered the battle against 
demons to be extremely important. 


Characteristics of Demons 

Menghi supported the view that the DEVIL was originally 
created good and chose evil. However, the Devil was not 
the principle of evil itself. The Devil and demons were 
created as beings superior to humans, with perfect intel- 
lect, memory, and will. They are able to see into humans, 
know their weaknesses, and know their future actions. 
Demons are clever and crafty and know the truth of all 
things by experience, revelation, and nature. However, 
they cannot force humans into sin but only tempt and 
persuade them to make sinful choices. 

Demons can dominate matter through possession and 
can appear in human form, even in the guise of beauti- 
ful men and women and saints. They engage in sexual 
intercourse with humans and are capable of producing 
children from such unions. They will eat and drink as 
humans, but they do not digest any of it; whatever they 
consume dissolves into its preexisting matter. 


Orders of Demons 

Menghi was influenced by the works of MICHAEL PSELLUS 
and envisioned a hierarchy of demons according to func- 
tions, spheres of activity, and habits, in much the same 
way that angels were arranged in hierarchies. 

The lowest types of demons are elflike demons 
(Vinfimo choro) who appear at night to play tricks to harm 
people and the incubi and succubi who tempt people into 
sexual activities. All of these demons are harmful but not 
malevolent. 

According to Menghi, the first order of demons are the 
“fiery ones” (Leliureon), who inhabit the air near the Sun. 
The second order is that of demons of the air (Aerea), who 
live in the air nearest to humans. The Aerea are vain and 
constantly compare themselves to God. They push people 
to be conceited and vain. The third order is that of earth 
demons (Terreo), who tempt people to immorality and put 
filthy thoughts into their heads. 

The worst and most dangerous demons are in the 
fourth through sixth orders. The fourth order is that of 
water demons (Acquatile or Marino), who live in lakes, 
seas, and rivers, where they like to cause storms and sink 
ships. The fifth order includes subterranean demons (Sot- 
terranei), who torment miners, cause earthquakes, desta- 
bilize the world, and throw stones. They are cruel and 
enjoy tormenting people. The Sotteranei disguise them- 
selves as servants of magicians and sorcerers (see FAMIL- 
IAR). Last and most deadly are the Lucifogo, who are dark 
and mysterious and avoid light. They will kill people in 
cold blood and should be avoided at all costs. 


Demonic Pacts 
Menghi wrote extensively on demonic pacts made by 
witches, or LAMIAE. The witches had sex with demonic 


Michel, Anneliese 171 


incubi and succubi and swore fidelity to the Devil. Can- 
didates for initiation worshipped the Devil as if he were 
God. They were assigned a familiar demon, called Marti- 
netto, disguised as a ram, who trained them and always 
accompanied them. The witches killed and ate babies, 
especially those who were unbaptized. They used their 
Devil-given magical powers to predict the future and per- 
suade others to follow the Devil. They caused abortions 
and killed with the EVIL EYE. 


Demonic Possession and Exorcism 

Menghi called possession victims fetoni, or “stinkers.” 
Even the most holy persons could become possessed. 
When demons possess a person, they put on great shows 
of magical tricks. Menghi lamented the lack of skilled ex- 
orcists in his time. Exorcisms were essential to the mis- 
sion of the church, he said, and had to be carried out with 
great pity. 

Exorcists must be aware of their own unworthiness 
and have great humility. They must have great purity of 
heart and be morally sound. The playing of sacred music 
is especially effective against demons. Exorcists must use 
harsh words and CuRSEs in their attacks against the de- 
mons. Great care should be taken in the use of saints’ rel- 
ics and crucifixes, for if they are not genuine, the demons 
will mock them and render them useless. 

Anything touched by a DEMONIAC must be blessed. 
Sometimes it may be necessary for a demoniac to abandon 
his or her house, if the demons have thoroughly contami- 
nated everything in it. Menghi said it is best to perform 
exorcisms in a sacred place, such as a church, and before 
an audience, after the acts of Jesus, who performed exor- 
cisms before crowds. 


FURTHER READING: 
Menghi, Giolamo. The Devils Scourge: Exorcism during the Ital- 
ian Renaissance. York Beach, Me.: Samuel Weiser, 2002. 


Mephistopheles (Mephistophilis, Mephistophilus, Me- 
phostophiles) DEMON and representative of the DEVIL 
who is a principal figure in the legend of Faust. Mephis- 
topheles is more of a literary figure than one belonging 
to mythology and demonology. He is usually described 
as a tall man wearing black clothing. 

The origin of the name Mephistophiles is uncertain. 
The name was known to the German occultist Johannes 
Trithemius (1442-1516), who described him as “a mys- 
terious kind of demon, dark through and through, mali- 
cious, restless, stormy.” “Mephistophiles” appears in 1527 
in a Renaissance magical text, Praxis Magia Faustiana, 
and later as “Mephostophiles” in the Faust chapbook His- 
toria von D. Johann Fausten, first published in 1587 by an 
anonymous author. 

The chapbook tells the story of Dr. Johann Georg 
Faust, who bargains his soul to the Devil. Mephistophiles 
is invisible to others but can be seen by Faust in various 
shape-shifted guises, including as a grey friar monk. Dr 


Mephistopheles, right, with Faust and Margaret. (AUTHOR'S 
COLLECTION) 


Fausts Hollenzwang describes “Mephistophiel” as one of 
the seven great princes of HELL, who “stands under the 
planet Jupiter, his regent is named Zadkiel, an enthroned 
angel of the holy Jehovah ... his form is firstly that of a 
fiery bear, the other and fairer appearance is as of a little 
man with a black cape and a bald head.” The demon also 
manifests as an invisible ringing bell. 

Mephistopheles is a trickster and practical joker, who 
serves the lusts and desires of Faust. In the end, he is 
a shrewd negotiator who has the last laugh by trapping 
Faust into damnation. In some accounts, however, Faust 
manages to redeem himself and escape eternal punish- 
ment in hell. 

The chapbooks inspired Christopher Marlowe’s play 
The Tragic History of Doctor Faustus and Johann Wolfgang 
von Goethe’s drama Faust. Shakespeare mentioned Me- 
phistophilus in The Merry Wives of Windsor. 


mezuzah See AMULET. 


Michel, Anneliese (1952-1976) German woman who 
died during prolonged ExorcisMs for demonic POSSES- 
SION. In a sensational trial, the parents of Anneliese 
Michel and the two priests who conducted the exorcisms 
were convicted of negligent homicide. The case was the 
basis for a film, The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005). 


172 Michel, Anneliese 


Michel was born on September 21, 1952, in Klingen- 
berg, Bavaria, to a conservative, middle-class Catholic 
family. She was the second of five girls; the first child, 
Martha, died at age eight of a kidney ailment. Michel’s 
parents were Josef and Anna Michel; Josef worked as a 
carpenter. As a child, Michel was frail and sickly but did 
well in school. She exhibited signs of being hypersensi- 
tive and was overcome sometimes during Mass at church. 
Her parents envisioned a career as a schoolteacher for 
her, and they sent her to study at the Gymnasium in 
Aschaffenberg. 

In 1968, Michel suffered her first blackout, while sit- 
ting in class. That night, she experienced a terrifying 
seizure of paralysis, suffocation, and uncontrolled uri- 
nation. A year passed before these episodes repeated. 
Her mother took her to a neurologist in Aschaffenberg, 
Dr. Siegfried Luthy, who diagnosed probable epilepsy 
but prescribed no medication because of the infre- 
quency of episodes. Michel’s health declined and she 
contracted tonsillitis, pleurisy, pneumonia, and tuber- 
culosis. She was also diagnosed with heart and circula- 
tory problems. She was hospitalized in a sanatorium in 
Mittelberg. 

Michel was still in the hospital on June 3, 1970, when 
she suffered another nighttime seizure. She was sent to a 
neurologist in Kempten, who ordered an electroenceph- 
alogram an (EEG). The results showed abnormal brain 
waves, and he prescribed anticonvulsant medication. 
Michel was returned to the sanatorium, where she grew 
increasingly depressed. About one week after her visit 
to Kempten, she experienced her first demonic vision. 
While praying, she saw a huge, grimacing, cruel face that 
loomed before her for a brief moment. Michel was in the 
habit of praying intensely, but after this, she was afraid 
to pray, lest the demonic face intrude again. She began to 
wonder whether the demon was inside her, perhaps caus- 
ing her illness. She had thoughts of suicide. 

On August 29, 1970, she was sent home, but family 
members observed that she seemed changed: She was 
depressed and withdrawn. She resumed school, but her 
grades were only average. She had a hard time studying. 
She suffered another seizure. 

Michel was sent back to doctors, who confirmed her 
circulatory problems and prescribed more anticonvul- 
sants. She may not have taken them, at least for long. 

Her health and mental state continued to decline, 
and she lost all interest in school. She made an effort to 
study to please her mother. Her seizures, sometimes se- 
vere, continued. Her mother sent her back to Dr. Luthy in 
Aschaffenberg. He prescribed an anticonvulsant and rec- 
ommended regular checkups. Michel dutifully returned 
at several-month intervals into 1973. She did not inform 
her doctor of her increasing seizures and blackouts or tell 
him that she now smelled a horrible stench that others 
did not. She felt the medication was contributing to her 
apathy and listlessness. 


Michel had increasing visions of ghastly, horned de- 
monic faces. There were more stenches of something 
burning, feces, or rotting flesh. Knocking noises sounded 
in her bedroom; her mother told her she was dream- 
ing them. However, Anna soon began to think that her 
daughter was being plagued by demons. She told her 
skeptical husband that she had caught Michel staring at a 
statue of the Virgin Mary in the house, and her eyes were 
jet black and her hands looked like paws with claws. Jo- 
sef recommended prayer and said he would take her to a 
saint shrine, the Mother of God of San Damiano. 

Michel had a terrible time at the shrine. She could not 
enter the chapel and said the ground burned her feet. So 
did the miraculous water there. She tore her rosary and 
refused to wear a saint medal bought by her father, say- 
ing it suffocated her. She spoke with a man’s voice and 
exuded a stench. 

Michel's bouts grew worse. She had periods of seem- 
ing to feel fine and then suddenly had seizures, visions, 
or deep depression. She became convinced that demons 
were inside her, and she felt empty, torn in two, or be- 
lieved that she was someone else. She gave more thought 
to suicide. She acquired a boyfriend, Peter, but was un- 
able to be sexually responsive to him. 

Anna returned her to Dr. Luthy. According to Anna 
and Michel, he recommended that they consult a Jesuit 
priest. Later, after Michel was dead, Dr. Lithy denied this, 
stating he would have only recommended another medi- 
cal professional. 

At any rate, while Michel was shuttling around among 
various physicians, she did consult various priests, includ- 
ing Father Roth at the parish at San Damiano. He referred 
her to Father Ernst Alt. Also, Father Adolf Rodewyk of 
Frankfurt, an expert on possession, opined in a letter that 
she showed symptoms of possession, but he declined to 
see her in person, because of his age and distance. 

Alt became involved in the case. He seemed to possess 
psychic ability or sensitivity and had an empathic connec- 
tion to Michel even before meeting her. He was inclined 
to see her as suffering from circumsessio (surrounded by 
evil forces) at the least and possibly from possession. 

Michel had sessions with Father Alt in which they 
talked and prayed, and she seemed better, temporarily, 
after the visits. Alt wrote to his superior, Bishop Stangl, 
on September 30, 1974, asking for permission to say the 
prayer of exorcism over her. Stangl refused, telling Alt to 
monitor her. The bishop thought she needed more medi- 
cal help. 

In 1975, Michel was unbalanced by the death of her 
grandmother and the departures of sisters from the house- 
hold. Studying became harder than ever. She told Peter 
that she felt she was eternally damned, although she did 
not know why. She developed an aversion to holy objects 
and stopped going to church. She could barely walk. She 
suffered episodes in which her face and body contorted. 
Peter told others she was possessed. When she starting 


Michel, Anneliese 173 


throwing things uncontrollably at Peter and others, she 
begged Alt to come to her aid. 

Alt arrived on July 1 and found her in a hysterical 
state. Mentally, he said the prayer of exorcismus probati- 
vus, which caused her to jump up and tear off her rosary. 

After Alt departed, Michel’s condition worsened dra- 
matically. She went home from school and lay stiff in bed. 
When she finally got up, she walked as though her legs 
were sticks. She fell into rages, cursing and attacking, 
growling like an animal, and exuding a horrible stench. 
Josef Michel summoned Father Roth, who witnessed one 
of these episodes himself. 

Alt appealed again to Stangl for permission to perform 
an exorcism. Stangl agreed to the small rite. On August 
3, 1974, Alt and Roth performed the small rite on Michel. 
She moaned and whimpered and said she felt as though 
she were burning. They were convinced they were deal- 
ing with genuine possession. 

At home, Michel was out of control. Her body swelled in 
odd places, she raced around bucking like a goat, screamed 
incessantly, went rigid and catatonic, and exhibited super- 
human strength. She tore off her clothes, complaining of 
burning up inside. She stuck her head in icy water and in 
the toilet. She ate flies, spiders, and coal; urinated on the 
kitchen floor and tried to lick it wp; and chewed on pant- 
ies soaked in urine. She destroyed religious objects. She 
was worst on Sundays and holy days. She attacked priests 
who arrived to see her with verbal abuse and blows. She 
required constant surveillance from her family. 

Clouds of flies suddenly appeared in the house and 
vanished just as suddenly. Shadowy animals were seen 
scurrying about. 

The extreme nature of the case finally made Father 
Rodewyck agree to see Michel in person. During one of 
her fits, he asked for her name and she replied, “Judas.” 
This identified the name of the demon. Further evidence 
was her repeated attempts to kiss people, her face twisted 
into grotesque hostility. 

In Rodewyck’s assessment, Michel was possessed by 
a demon named Judas, with subsidiary demons partici- 
pating as well. Thus far, they were mute, not speaking 
through her themselves. In order for the two-hour RIT- 
UALE ROMANUM to be performed, the demons must speak 
through the mouth of the possessed and truthfully an- 
swer certain questions put to them. 

Michel and her family were convinced she was pos- 
sessed, and they desired the exorcism to be performed. 
Rodewyck met with Roth and Alt and gave them his 
opinion. Stangl gave permission for the Rituale Roma- 
num to be performed. The man selected for the job was 
Father Arnold Renz, a Salvatorian superior at a mon- 
astery in Ruck-Schippach. Renz had never before per- 
formed an exorcism, though he was knowledgeable on 
the subject. 

The first rite was performed at the Michel home on 
September 24, 1975. In attendance were Michel’s family, 


some friends, her boyfriend Peter, and Fathers Alt, Roth, 
and Hermann, the latter of whom also had attended and 
counseled the afflicted girl. 

Michel was held by three of the men while she strug- 
gled, kicked, and attempted to bite. She swore, howled 
like a dog, and screamed when she was sprinkled with 
holy water. Still, her actions of the first exorcism were 
relatively mild compared to her earlier behavior. 

The second exorcism took place on September 28. 
From then on, the sessions were recorded. The demons— 
for more than one had been present—said that Michel 
was possessed because she was cursed by a jealous neigh- 
bor woman before she was born. The family attempted to 
verify this, but the suspect had died. 

The exorcisms proceeded. People in attendance felt 
physically affected, as though the demons were making it 
difficult for them to participate. 

After Judas, LUCIFER appeared, and then Nero. After a 
time, the demons named three others, Cain, Hitler, and 
a fallen priest named Fleischmann. Cain and Hitler had 
little to say. Judas remained the primary mouthpiece for 
the demons, followed by Lucifer. 

Alt found records of the fallen priest, who had lived in 
Ettleben in the 16th century. He was a womanizer, a bat- 
terer, and a drunkard and had killed a man. The demon, 
through Michel, gave details of his life that were in the 
records but unknown to the girl. Michel referred to him 
as “The Black One.” 

The demonic activity ebbed and flowed and seemed 
to increase sometimes when Michel had medications 
renewed. She suffered stigmata. Jesus communicated to 
Michel that she would be purified by her ordeal, would 
become a saint, and would marry. 

On October 31, 1975, the exorcists believed they had 
achieved complete success. They expelled the six demons 
one by one, and each departed with great vomiting and 
protests before it surrendered by saying, “Hail Mary full 
of grace.” But just when they thought the ordeal was over, 
a new demon announced itself with a growl. It identified 
itself only as “I” and said it had been secretly lurking in 
Michel all along. The demon told Renz that “they,” mean- 
ing the other demons, “really pulled a fast one on you.” 
On November 9, Renz was able to goad the demon into 
admitting that it was Judas, who had returned immedi- 
ately upon being exorcized on October 31, in spite of the 
priests’ taking the steps to seal the door against the de- 
mons by singing the Te Deum and a prayer to Mary. Judas 
said he returned with the permission of Mary and would 
remain until her triumph, upon which all demons would 
be cast out. 

After Christmas 1975, the character of the exorcisms 
changed. The demon has less and less to say and refused 
to state when he would depart. In January, Judas sug- 
gested that he might be Lucifer. Michel had episodes of 
violence, including growling, contorting, and striking out 
against others, that happened outside the exorcisms. 


174 Michel, Anneliese 


By March 1976, Michel was showing signs of physical 
deterioration. On March 7, Renz carried out an exorcism 
with Michel in bed, seemingly unconscious and barely 
responsive. In April, before Easter, Michel predicted an- 
other great trial was ahead of her. She seemed exhausted 
and at Eastertide went through pain that she likened to 
the death agony of Jesus. She had more frequent episodes 
of severe rigidity and spent more time in bed. 

In early May, Alt decided that Michel should go to 
Etteleben. She told her boyfriend Peter that she would 
suffer until July, and then her ordeal would be over. Upon 
arrival in Ettelben, Michael spent much of her time rigid, 
screaming, and exhausted in bed, unable to eat. She said 
the demons were choking her. 

On May 9, her parents decided to take her home. She 
remained in bed, in pain and screaming. She hit and bit 
herself and banged herself against the wall. She bit the 
wall so harshly that her teeth chipped. She smashed her 
head through a glass door without injury. She slept only 
one to two hours a night. She was unable to eat except at 
rare intervals, when she would order specific foods that 
she could gulp down in a hurry. During exorcisms, the 
demons were unresponsive. The old demons had been 
replaced by new ones, who refused to talk or give their 
names. 

On May 30, Alt visited Michel and told a physician 
friend, Dr. Richard Roth, who had listened to some of the 
exorcism tapes, to be present as well. Michel was emaci- 
ated, and her face was swollen and bruised. Roth gave her 
no medical treatments. 

Michel continued to deteriorate. Her screams became 
unearthly. June 8 was the last day that Alt saw Michel 
alive. She was severely emaciated. Her family said she 
would only consume a little fruit juice and milk. They 
awaited July because Michel had said her trials would be 
over then. The demons remained uncommunicative. 

The only explanation that made sense to Alt was that 
she was suffering a “penance possession” to atone for 
someone else’s sins, perhaps those of a member of her 
family. Penance possession was extremely difficult for an 
exorcist to treat. Renz continued his exorcisms two or 
three times a week. Michel’s screaming degraded into mo- 
notonous moaning. She tried to exorcize herself, without 
success. 

Michel was asked repeatedly whether she wanted a 
doctor, but she declined, saying there was nothing a doc- 
tor could do for her. On June 9 and June 30, she asked for 
absolution, and Renz complied on June 30. She was run- 
ning a high temperature. After the exorcism on that date, 
Michel went to bed, telling her mother she was afraid. 
She died in her sleep on the morning of July 1. Just as the 
demons had predicted, her ordeal was over in July 1976. 

Roth was summoned but could not write out a death 
certificate because he did not have the proper forms. Mi- 
chel’s family physician, Dr. Kehler, wrote the certificate 
and said her death was not due to natural causes. Alt con- 


tacted the state attorney general’s office in Aschaffenberg. 
An autopsy revealed that Michel had died of starvation. 
Her brain showed no signs of damage characteristic of 
epileptic seizures. Nor was her body covered with sores 
typical of starvation. Her pupils were greatly dilated, a 
characteristic of people who are in a religious altered 
state of consciousness. 

The case caused a great deal of controversy. People 
refused to accept the idea that Michel was killed by de- 
mons, for that meant that evil could triumph over good. 
Rather, according to gossip, she had chosen to die as a 
sacrifice. People made pilgrimages to Klingenberg to pray 
at Michel’s grave. Renz became a media hero, giving in- 
terviews and playing the exorcism tapes, until his superi- 
ors told him to stop. 

The state attorney’s office initiated a criminal investi- 
gation and spent a year gathering evidence. Indictments 
for negligent homicide were issued in July 1977 against 
Alt, Renz, and Michel’s parents. Charges were dropped 
against Stangl and Rodewyck. 

Popular veneration of Michel elevated her to practical 
sainthood. A Carmelite nun came forward and said Michel 
was communicating from beyond the grave to her. Michel 
wished her body to be exhumed on February 25, 1978, 
prior to the start of the trial in March. Renz was to see to 
it that this was done, the nun said. Furthermore, the nun 
said that, according to Michel, her body would not be pu- 
trefied, and the exhumation would yield proof of the exis- 
tence of demons, God, the Mother of God, other spiritual 
beings, eternal life, resurrection, and hell. The nun said 
that Michel had died as a penance to benefit Germany, its 
youth and priests. God would resurrect Michel. 

Michel’s parents succeeded in having the body dis- 
interred on the requested date, on the excuse that they 
wished to transfer her remains to a better coffin. The event 
was a media frenzy. But the mayor informed Michel's par- 
ents and the audience that the girl’s remains were badly 
decomposed, and he advised against seeing them. The 
parents agreed. Renz wished to view them but said he 
was turned away at the door of the mortuary. 

Gossip immediately spread. Stories were told that the 
remains were incorrupt, and officials were keeping it a 
secret. 

The trial began on March 30, 1978. There was much 
conflicting testimony over what had transpired and 
whether or not Michel had suffered from epilepsy and 
mental illness. One medical expert opined that she should 
have been immobilized with tranquilizers, force-fed, and 
administered electroshock therapy. 

The verdict of the court was that all four defendants 
were guilty of negligent homicide. The court’s opinion 
held that Michel was incapable of helping herself, and 
medical help should have been provided. The exorcisms 
and her environment aggravated her condition. The guilty 
were sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for 
three years, and given responsibility to pay court costs. 


Miracle of Laon 175 


In the aftermath, efforts were made by critics of the case 
to have exorcism banned or at least changed. 

Seers throughout Europe continue to deliver messages 
from Michel about judgment and other religious matters. 
Her grave continues to be visited by pilgrims. Adding to 
the legend surrounding her are stories of deaths and ac- 
cidents related to people who attacked her or the priests 
who tried to help her. 

In her analysis of the case, the anthropologist Felicitas 
D. Goodman opined that the anticonvulsant medications 
prescribed to Michel, all of which had serious side effects, 
had interfered with her own ability to regain control of 
herself, interfered with the exorcism process, and thus 
probably contributed to her death. 

Michel’s story was made into a film, The Exorcism of 
Emily Rose, released in 2005. The film was directed by 
Scott Derrickson and stars Jennifer Carpenter as Emily 
Rose and Tom Wilkinson as Father Moore, a Catholic 
priest. 

Rose dies after Moore performs an exorcism on her, 
and Moore is charged with negligent homicide. The pros- 
ecutor, Ethan Thomas (Campbell Scott), bases his case on 
the argument that Rose’s affliction had a medical expla- 
nation, and Moore killed the girl by preventing her from 
taking her necessary medication. The defense counsel, 
Erin Bruner (Laura Linney), claims that Rose’s condition 
and death were due to supernatural causes. 

The trial becomes a stage for the debate of religion, 
philosophy, and supernatural beliefs. The principals suf- 
fer events of an apparent supernatural nature during the 
course of their arguments. Whether or not Rose actually 
suffered from demonic possession is never declared in the 
film; it is left to the viewer. 

A German film purporting to follow the true story 
more closely, Requiem, was released in 2006. 


FURTHER READING: 
Goodman, Felicitas D. The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel. Gar- 
den City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1981. 


Mictantecutli Aztec lord of the underworld and king 
of DEMONs. Mictantecutli is the only Aztec deity besides 
the Sun god, Tonacaecutli, who wears a crown. He is 
depicted as a skeleton on a throne and keeps with him an 
owl, a clump of desert grass, a corpse, and a dish of 
human hearts. 

Mictantecutli tortures the souls of those who are im- 
prisoned in his dark kingdom, Mictlampa. He occasion- 
ally travels to the realm of the living in search of new 
victims. He rules the dreaded hour of midnight, when he 
releases all his demons upon the world. They have free 
reign until daybreak. 


Miracle of Laon (1566) Sensational POSSESSION case in 
Laon, France. The Catholic Church used the daily Exor- 
CISMs of Nicole Obry (also Aubry) before huge crowds as 
examples of the church’s power over the DEVIL to sup- 


port it in religious struggles with the French Huguenots. 
Through Obry, BEELZEBUB claimed the Huguenots as his 
own people, gleefully noting that their supposed heresies 
made them even more precious to him. The demon was 
exorcised through repeated administration of holy 
wafers, a precedent in exorcism, and proved to the faith- 
ful the danger of the threat of Huguenot reform. 

The central issue dividing French Catholics and Hu- 
guenots was transubstantiation, or the Real Presence: 
whether or not, during communion, the bread and wine 
actually became the body and blood of Christ. This mira- 
cle occurred for Catholics, whereas Huguenots considered 
such an interpretation to be idolatry. By exorcising Beel- 
zebub with the help of holy wafers, the Catholic Church 
declared a victory for the power of the presence. 

Obry had a troubled past with problems of fits be- 
fore she showed signs of possession in 1565, at age 15 
or 16. The daughter of a butcher in Vervins, near Laon 
in Picardy, she had spent eight years in a convent at 
Montreuil-les-Dames. She was a dull-witted student but 
learned to read. Her fits probably had physical causes, not 
hysteria, unlike those of many other female demoniacs. 
She had suffered two severe head injuries, one from a dog 
bite and one from a falling tile. As a result, she suffered 
from chronic headache until she was exorcised. At the 
time of her possession, she had been married for a short 
time to a merchant, Louis Pierret. Despite her history, she 
was a stunning and convincing demoniac and exhibited 
uncanny and genuine clairvoyance via the possessing 
demons. 

One day, while Obry prayed alone in church, the spirit 
of her maternal grandfather, Joachim Willot, visited her. 
Willot entered the girl and explained that since he died 
suddenly after supper and had not confessed his sins nor 
accomplished certain vows, his soul was in purgatory. 
He asked for her help to enable him to ascend to heaven: 
Obry should have masses said in his name, give alms to 
the poor, and make holy pilgrimages, especially to the 
shrine of St. James of Compostela. 

Obry’s family complied but evaded the pilgrimage to 
St. James, perhaps because of the expense involved. Her 
convulsive fits, present since Willot’s possession, did not 
improve, and Obry blamed her family’s failure to visit St. 
James. The family arranged a fake departure for the pilgrim- 
age, but Obry was not deceived. At this point, the family 
asked the local priest, the schoolmaster, and a Dominican 
monk to conjure the spirit, who admitted he was not the 
soul of Willot but his good ANGEL. Knowing this to be her- 
esy, the priests finally made the spirit admit he was a devil. 

For two months, Obry was exorcized daily in front 
of ever-growing crowds. The first exorcisms were done 
in Vervin, where inexperienced priests first used a hand- 
book on baptismal exorcism, then obtained a book of 
demonic exorcisms. They followed instructions to find 
out the name of the demon and, when they succeeded 
in getting Beelzebub’s name, did as the manual directed 


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mirror 177 


and wrote it on a piece of paper and burned it. Beelzebub 
shrieked but did not depart. The demon quickly became 
immune to this procedure and even remarked that it was 
a waste of paper and ink. 

Obry was moved to the cathedral in Laon when Beel- 
zebub complained that a prince of his rank could be 
expelled only by a bishop in a suitable location. The exor- 
cisms continued on stage in the cathedral for two days 
but moved to a private chapel to prevent mob chaos. But 
Beelzebub protested again. In the account of Obry’s ex- 
orcism by the Hebrew professor Jean Boulaese in 1578, 
Beelzebub told the priests that “it was not right to hide 
what God wanted to be manifested and known to all the 
world,” and that he would only leave Obry in “that great 
brothel” (the cathedral), and on stage. 

The exorcisms grew to two times a day, during which 
Obry gave an impressive demoniacal performance, with 
contortions, horrible noises, blackened tongue, rigidity, 
and levitation. Beelzebub commanded center attention, 
but 29 other demons also made appearances. 

During the rituals, the priests tried to use more tra- 
ditional methods, such as holy water, relics, the sign of 
the cross, and prayers to the Virgin Mary, but these only 
succeeded in angering Beelzebub. Only the host, or Eu- 
charist—the body and BLOOD of Christ—tamed him. By 
submitting to the host, Beelzebub confirmed the power of 
the Real Presence. On one occasion, Beelzebub called the 
Eucharist “Jack the White.” Before this, the Eucharist had 
not been used as a principal weapon in exorcisms, mak- 
ing this case unusual. 

Obry occasionally suffered repossessions as often as 
50 times a day, leading to mass consumption of holy wa- 
fers. The host began to be regarded as medicine for her 
spiritual sickness. Although he admitted that he was the 
father of lies, Beelzebub taunted Huguenot doubters about 
Obry’s possession, gleefully noting that their doubts of 
faith made them all the more precious to him. Through 
Obry, Beelzebub also pointed out sinners in the masses 
watching the exorcisms, revealing their secret, uncon- 
fessed sins. Many went to receive confession, and some 
rejoined the church. On some days, thousands confessed 
out of sheer fear of exposure by Beelzebub; priests were 
stationed everywhere in the cathedral to handle the de- 
mand. As propaganda for the Catholics, Obry’s sufferings 
were unparalleled. 

French theologians did not use the accusations of de- 
moniacs against the accused witch until the 17th century. 
But it may have been the possession of Obry at Laon that 
planted the seeds of such evidence. As well as identifying 
secret sinners, Beelzebub, through Obry, accused some 
women of witchcraft while still in Vervins. According 
to the account by Barthelemy Faye, a magistrate, Obry 
claimed that a gypsy woman, not a man, as some claimed, 
had bewitched her early in her possession. In addition, 
the Huguenots continually claimed SORCERY and MAGIC 
against Obry’s mother, one of the exorcists, and a priest, 


Despinoys, who accompanied Obry after her expulsion 
from Laon. 

Beelzebub finally left Obry at 3:00 P.M. on Friday, Feb- 
ruary 8, 1566. After his expulsion, Obry and her husband 
remained in Laon until, fearing outright religious war, 
the Huguenots succeeded in barring Obry from the city. 
Still weak, Obry survived only on communion wafers. She 
made one last bid for celebrity in 1577, when she became 
blind and was cured, not by the host, but by the holy relic 
of John the Baptist’s head. 

The Catholic Church, rejoicing in this miraculous af- 
firmation of transubstantiation, used the accounts of it to 
their greatest advantage. Future cases of possession and 
exorcisms relied on the happenings at Laon, and even 
certain Huguenots, including Florimond De Raemond, 
the historian of 16th-century heresy, were converted. Ob- 
ry’s redemption was celebrated at the Cathedral of Laon 
on February 8 until the French Revolution at the close of 
18th century. 


FURTHER READING: 

Calmet, Dom Augustin. The Phantom World: Concerning 
Apparitions and Vampires. Ware, England: Wordsworth 
Editions in association with the Folklore Society, 2001. 

Walker, D. P Unclean Spirits: Possession and Exorcism in 
France and England in the Late Sixteenth and Early Seven- 
teenth Centuries. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania 
Press, 1981. 


mirror According to folklore, a doorway or portal 
through which spirits, including ghosts and DEMONs, can 
gain access to the physical world. Mirrors are problems 
in some cases of demonic infestations and hauntings. 

Since ancient times, any shiny surface has been re- 
garded as a spirit doorway and can be used deliberately 
to summon spirits into the world. They also are used for 
seeing visions of the future. Much of the folklore about 
mirrors is negative. In widespread belief, they are “soul 
stealers” with the power to suck souls out of bodies. In 
the Greek myth of Narcissus, he sees his own reflection 
in water, pines away, and dies. The DEvIL and demons 
can enter through mirrors to attack people, according to 
some beliefs. 

There also are numerous beliefs about mirrors and 
the dead. When a person dies, all the mirrors in a house 
should be turned over, for if a corpse sees itself in a mir- 
ror, the soul of the dead will have no rest or will become 
a vampire. Corpses seeing themselves in mirrors also 
will draw bad luck upon the household. Such beliefs hark 
back to days when the corpses were laid out in homes, 
and people believed that souls lingered about the body 
until burial. 

Another folk belief holds that if a person sees his or 
her own reflection in a room where someone has died, it 
is a death omen. Mirrors also should be covered in sick 
rooms in the folk belief that the soul is weakened and 
more vulnerable to possession during illness. 


178 Molitor, Simon 


Mirrors in Problem Hauntings 

Ifa home is plagued with unpleasant spirit activity, inves- 
tigators, including lay demonologists, may recommend 
the removal or covering of mirrors. In bedrooms, mir- 
rors should never be placed at the foot of a bed or at the 
head of a bed. It is considered a negative influence for a 
person to be able to see himself or herself from any angle 
in a mirror while in bed. Mirrors should never reflect into 
each other; this creates unstable psychic space. 

A folk remedy calls for positioning a mirror so that it 
faces outward toward a door or window. The reasoning 
goes that a spirit who looks in a window or attempts to 
cross a door threshold will see its own reflection and be 
scared away. Mirrors can be closed as portals by rubbing 
the edges of them or washing the surfaces in holy water. 


Conjuring Mirrors 

One of the cases of ED AND LORRAINE WARREN involved a 
conjuring mirror, which the Warrens said invited demonic 
trouble into the life of the user. Oliver B., a 45-year-old man 
of New Jersey, purchased a mirror in an ornate frame for 
the purpose of casting spells and CURSEs on others. 

First, Oliver learned to see images clearly in the mir- 
ror by spending long periods gazing into the mirror with 
intense concentration. After months of practice, he could 
state whatever he wanted to see, and the image would ap- 
pear. He learned how to see future situations for himself. 
Then, he began conjuring images of people he did not like 
or who had wronged him. He projected an image of a person 
into the future and willed something bad to happen, with 
the help of demons he summoned. The scene played out in 
the mirror, and then it came to pass in physical reality. 

Eventually, Oliver’s magic backfired on him. The mis- 
fortunes he conjured for others began happening to him. 
In addition, demons invaded his home and created un- 
pleasant disturbances, such as footsteps, heavy breath- 
ing, doors opening by themselves, levitations of objects, 
and unearthly howlings in the night. 

After a week of terrifying phenomena, Oliver contacted 
the Catholic Church and was referred to the Warrens, who 
investigated. Ed Warren undid the ritual that Oliver had 
done repeatedly by performing it backward. This stopped 
the demonic OPPRESSION, Warren said, and nullified the 
mirror magic spells. Oliver gave the Warrens the mirror to 
be placed in their museum of POSSESSED POSSESSIONS. 


FURTHER READING: 

Brittle, Gerald Daniel. The Demonologist: The Extraordinary 
Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: 
Prentice-Hall, 1980. 

Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. “Mirrors: Do You Know What's 
Looking Back at You?” TAPS Paramagazine, September 
2007, 12-13. 


Molitor, Simon (d. 1564) 
by his wife. 

Simon Molitor, of Hesse, Germany, made his living 
driving out DEMONs in Westphalia and neighboring areas 


German EXORCIST murdered 


and had a shady reputation for fraud. He moved to Osbna- 
bruck, and after three years of questionable activities, the 
magistrate there decided to expel him. 

On February 9, 1564, Molitor quarreled with his wife 
over some stolen money. She went upstairs and called to 
him to look for the missing money with her. When he ar- 
rived upstairs, she pushed him through the trapdoor and 
attacked him with an ax, cutting off his head and left arm. 
She threw the head and arm into the fire and intended to 
burn the rest of the body as well. 

Neighbors, hearing the noise and noticing the awful 
smell of burning flesh, went to investigate and discovered 
Molitor’s grisly remains. His wife was arrested and jailed. 
Her fatal punishment consisted of having her body torn 
with red-hot pincers, followed by being lashed to a wheel 
and broken. 


FURTHER READING: 

Weyer, Johann. On Witchcraft (De praestigiis daemonum). 
Abridged. Edited by Benjamin G. Kohl and H. C. Erik 
Midelfort. Asheville, N.C.: Pegasus Press, 1998. 


Moloch Ammonite god demonized in Hebrew lore. 
Moloch was probably identified with BAAL, and with the 
Assyrian/Babylonian Malik. King SOLOMON was said to 
have built a temple to Moloch. 

To the Ammonites, Moloch was a Sun god and person- 
ified the detrimental effects of the Sun’s rays. He also was 
the cause of plagues. He was depicted as a bull-headed 
man with long arms sitting on a brass throne. Huge 


Moloch (DICTIONNAIRE INFERNAL) 


Mot 179 


bronze statues of him were erected in his honor, and he 
was worshipped with human sacrifice rites in the belief 
that the people would be protected from disaster. The vic- 
tims were thrown into fires built in hollow bellies of the 
bronze statue. 

Moloch was called “the prince of the valley of tears,” 
a reference to Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom, where 
the sacrificial rites were said to take place. King Jeremiah 
defiled Topeth, and the sacrificial practices declined. 

The Hebrews called Moloch “the abomination of the 
Ammonites” (1 Kings 11:7). In Kabbalistic lore, he is, with 
SATAN, the first of the evil DEMONs of the Tree of Life. 

The ancient Greeks associated Moloch with Cronos, 
the god of time, who devoured his own children in order 
to prevent them from challenging his rule. 


money In folklore, money from FAIRIES, witches, sor- 
cerers, DEMONs and the DEVIL is worthless. 

Many tales exist of victims accepting payment for 
goods or services and discovering, after it is too late, that 
the gold coins or currency are actually toads, animal claws, 
shells, lead, or other worthless objects. For example, the 
Devil gives a purse filled with gold to a victim, who later 
finds it contains nothing but embers and smoke. 

In one tale, a 15-year-old youth met a strange man 
who was passing through a village. The man inquired 
whether the youth would like to be rich. When the 
youth agreed, the man gave him a folded piece of paper 
and told him it would produce as many gold coins as he 
wished as long as he did not unfold the paper. If he man- 
aged to contain his curiosity, the youth would then meet 
his true benefactor. The youth took the paper home and 
was amazed when it spilled out gold coins. But he was 
unable to resist the temptation to unfold it. When he 
did, he saw, to his horror, that it contained bear’s nails, 
cat’s claws, toad’s feet, and other awful items. He threw 
the paper on the fire, but it refused to burn for an hour. 
The gold pieces vanished. 

Demons supposedly guard all the vast treasures of 
the earth but can never draw upon them. NICHOLAS REMY 
told in his witch-hunting handbook Demonolatry (1595) 
that false riches offered by a demon deceived a man in 
Nuremberg in 1530. The demon revealed a hiding place of 
a great treasure. The man found a vault containing a chest 
guarded by a black dog. But when the man attempted to 
seize the chest, the vault collapsed and crushed him to 
death. The tragedy was witnessed by one of the man’s ser- 
vants, who fled and spread the story. 

Remy also related several cases of women being de- 
ceived by gifts of money and gold coins from demons. The 
riches were in purses or wrapped in paper and proved to 
be bits of brick and coal, swine dung, leaves of trees, and 
a rusty-colored stone that crumbled to dust. Remy said he 
tried one woman, Catharina Ruffa of Ville-sur-Moselle, 
on a capital charge in 1587 because she claimed that a 
demon gave her three genuine gold coins. 


According to legend, Paracelsus, the l6th-century 
Swiss alchemist, roamed about Europe penniless dur- 
ing his last years, paying innkeepers with gold coins that 
turned into seashells after he departed. 

Illusory money parallels another folk belief that live- 
stock purchased unwittingly from witches and fairies 
disappears or turns into something undesirable. For ex- 
ample, cows dissolve in running water, horses turn into 
pigs, and so forth. 


FURTHER READING: 

Collin de Plancy, Jacques. Dictionary of Witchcraft. Edited and 
translated by Wade Baskin. Originally published as Diction- 
ary of Demonology. New York: Philosophical Library, 1965. 

Remy, Nicholas. Demonolatry. Secaucus, N.J.: University 
Books, 1974. 


moonlet See AMULET. 


Morax (Foraii, Forfax) FALLEN ANGEL and 21st of the 
72 SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. Morax is an earl and president in 
HELL and rules 36 legions of DEMONs. He appears as a 
bull, and, if he takes on a man’s head, he will impart 
knowledge of astronomy and all liberal sciences. He 
knows the virtues of herbs and precious stones. He gives 
good FAMILIARS. 


Mot In Jewish lore, a DEMON of death who hovers 
around dying people. Mot means “death” in Hebrew. Pas- 
sages in the Old Testament refer to him as Death. In 
Greek lore, he is the son of Kronos, the god of time. The 
Phoenicians called him “Death” and “Pluto,” lord of the 
underworld. 

Mot is also the name of a Canaanite warrior deity- 
demon found in Ugaritic literature. He is described as 
both the beloved of El and the son of El, and he is com- 
pletely evil, without redeeming features. He was not wor- 
shipped as a deity but was associated with death and the 
underworld. His underworld abode is dank and danger- 
ous. Mot has a voracious appetite for gods and humans. 
He crushes them in his enormous jaws and mouth. He 
literally swallows the dead into the underworld. He car- 
ries a scepter of bereavement or widowhood. 

Mot is the enemy of BAAL, god of the sea and fertility, 
his opposite. Mot conquers him, forcing him into the un- 
derworld. Baal revives to battle him into at least temporary 
submission. Baal tricks Mot into eating his own brothers. 

Mot has associations with the agricultural cycles of 
growth and harvest. He undergoes ritual dismember- 
ment and dissolution, and resurrection. The huntress 
Anat attacks Mot and vanquishes him, scattering his 
body to the fields. In sympathetic magic rituals, he is 
pruned as a vine is. 


FURTHER READING: 
Davies, T. Witton. Magic, Divination and Demonology among 
the Hebrews and Their Neighbors. First published 1898. 


180 Mottlingen Possession 


van der Toorn, Karel, Bob Becking, and Pieter W. van der 
Horst, eds. Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible. 
2nd ed. Grand Rapids, Mich.: William B. Eerdmans, 1999. 


Mottlingen Possession (1836-1843) German peasant 
woman possessed by a ghost and more than 1,000 
DEMONS. The case was published in English for the first 
time by the spiritualist medium W. T. Stead in his book 
Borderland: A Casebook of True Supernatural Stories 
(1891-92). The victim was a single woman identified only 
by her initials, G. D., born around 1816 in Mottlingen, 
Wurtemberg, Germany. She was a servant who was by all 
accounts pious, so her friends and neighbors were mysti- 
fied at the sudden onset of supernatural attack followed 
by complete demonic POSSESSION. 

Between 1836 and 1838, G. D. had a serious illness 
that weakened her overall health and left her with one leg 
shorter than the other. The same side of her body was af- 
fected as well, making it impossible for her continue work 
as a servant. She went to live with two sisters and a nearly 
blind brother, who lived on the ground floor of a house in 
Mottlingen. The illness may have made G. D. vulnerable 
to spirit invasion. 

G. D. immediately felt that a strange presence was 
in the house. On her very first day there, she was in the 
midst of saying grace at dinner when she had a seizure 
and fell unconscious. At night, weird sounds were heard 
in the house: a swishing, trailing noise and the sound of 
objects being rolled around on the floor. Even the family 
who lived on the second floor heard the noises and was 
alarmed by them. 

G. D. saw shadowy figures and moving lights, which 
were not visible to others. She felt an invisible force seize 
her hands at night and move them. G. D. underwent a 
change in personality, becoming unpleasant to others. 

By 1841, the nightly visitations and phenomena had 
become so distressing to G. D. that she sought out a cler- 
gyman, Pfarrar Blumhardt. He was at a loss to explain 
what was happening to her. That winter, she became ill 
again, but she was extremely unpleasant to Blumhardt 
when he paid visits to her. 

The disturbances escalated. By April 1842, the entire 
neighborhood could hear the noises at night. G. D. fre- 
quently saw the specter of a woman who had died two 
years prior in the village, holding a dead child in her 
arms. The ghost said she wanted rest. 

One night, a mysterious light in the house revealed 
a loose floorboard. A paper with writing was found un- 
derneath, but the dirt on it was so heavy that the writ- 
ing could not be read. Two weeks later, another myste- 
rious light and a noise emerged from behind the stove. 
Underneath the floor, there were hidden objects: money 
wrapped up in paper, packets of a strange powder, bird 
bones, and other items. G. D. and her siblings believed 
these to be magical objects used for spell casting. 

Blumhardt persuaded G. D. to move, and she went to 
live with another relative. The previous house continued 


to be haunted until 1844. Meanwhile, the activity also fol- 
lowed G. D. to her new residence. Now, she started having 
convulsions. Her possessions began. 

The dead woman kept appearing to her, and simulta- 
neously G. D. would feel tapped and even struck sharply 
by invisible blows. G. D. said the woman had confessed 
to grievous sins on her deathbed and could find no peace. 
G. D. would fall unconscious, during which times “un- 
earthly sounds” would fill the house. 

Blumhardt described the first time he saw her become 
possessed: 


Suddenly, something seemed to enter into her, and her 
whole body began to move. I said a few words of prayer, 
mentioning the name of Jesus. Immediately she rolled 
her eyes, threw out her hands, and spoke in a voice 
that was at once recognized as that of a stranger—not 
only on account of the sound, as of the expression and 
choice of words. The voice cried, “I cannot endure to 
hear that name!” All shuddered. I had never heard any- 
thing of the kind, and offered a silent prayer for wisdom 
and discretion. 


Blumhardt questioned the spirit, who said she had no 
rest in death because she had killed two children and bur- 
ied them in fields. She could not pray and could not en- 
dure the name of JEsus. She said she was not alone; “the 
worst of all beings” was with her. She also said that she 
had practiced magic, which made her “the devil’s bonds- 
woman.” She had been cast out of people seven times, and 
she was not about to be cast out again. Blumhardt told her 
she could not remain in the body of G. D., but the spirit 
was defiant. At last, it left after being sternly ordered out 
by the minister. 

Subsequently, G. D. suffered frequent possessions, 
with an increasing number of demons entering into her. 
Blumhardt cast out as many as 14 at one time. Onlookers 
often felt blows, but the minister was never harmed. The 
demons told him they could not harm him. 

The possessions intensified. G. D. felt invisible blows 
day and night. Sometimes, she was knocked down while 
walking on the street. One night, she awakened feeling a 
burning hand seize her neck. The skin blistered, and the 
wound festered for weeks. 

On July 25, 1842, G. D. suffered a particularly bad 
possession, lying unconscious “like dead” while more 
than 1,000 demons passed out of her through her mouth. 
According to Blumhardt, they exited in groups of 12, 14, 
and 28 at a time. After this, G. D. had some peace for a 
few weeks, but then the possessions returned, worse than 
ever. Every Wednesday and Friday night, the demons ar- 
rived. Her health declined. 

Others in the village urged the minister to use rem- 
edies of sympathetic magic, but he refused, believing that 
magic would only strengthen SATAN against him. He be- 
lieved such folk magic practices, as well as fortune telling 
and divining the location of lost property, were the type 
of thing the Devil used to ensnare people. 


Murmur 181 


Instead, Blumhardt relied solely on prayer, even when 
he was not present with G. D. It always afforded her relief, 
but when he stopped, the attacks started again. 

Once, the demons said there were 1,067 of them, the 
largest of the attacks. They spoke in French, Italian, and 
“unknown” tongues as well as G. D’s native German. 
Whenever Blumhardt cast them out, they stayed in the 
room for a long time, visible to G. D. but no one else. One 
of the demons, she said, dressed in rich, ancient clothing 
and always carried a book. This demon seemed to be the 
leader. 

Eventually, Blumhardt succeeded in casting them out 
and keeping them out of G. D. Some of them said they 
were delivered from servitude to the Devil by his prayer 
and were being sent to a place of rest until Judgment Day. 
Others were in despair, presumably because they had to 
go back to HELL. Among the first to leave G. D. was the 
spirit of the dead woman, who asked to haunt the village 
church. She was later seen there by G. D. 

The last demon was expelled on February 8, 1843. G. 
D. lay unconscious for hours. When she awakened, she 
said she had been to a foreign country, the description 
of which seemed to be the West Indies. A terrible earth- 
quake had happened there, she said, and many of her tor- 
menting demons were cast into the crater of a volcano, 
including the leader with the book. A few days later, a real 
earthquake struck the West Indies. 

Despite the expulsion of the demons, G. D.’s troubles 
were not over. She repeatedly vomited sand, pieces of 
glass, nails, shoe buckles, live grasshoppers, a frog, anda 
snake. Pins, needles, and knitting needles were drawn out 
of her body. The worst were two large nails, one of them 
bent, that were removed from her head and caused copi- 
ous bleeding from her ears, nose, and eyes. Blumhardt 
removed many of these pins, nails, and needles himself. 
First, he would feel them under the skin, working their 
way out; then, they would pierce the skin. He opined that 
the Devil had the ability to dematerialize real objects and 
reassemble their atoms inside the body. 

G. D. was still visited at night by spirits, who touched 
her and forced something like bread into her mouth. 
However, they did not possess her. She attempted suicide. 
Her final struggle against the demons took place just be- 
fore Christmas 1843, and her brother and one sister were 


affected as well. All three recovered. G. D. moved into 
Blumhardt’s house. 

Blumhardt believed that G. D. underwent these af- 
flictions because as a child, she had a relative who was 
a witch, who promised to teach her the arts when she 
turned 10. The woman died when G. D. was eight, but 
Blumhardt said the Devil evidently considered her his 
property because of the witch’s intentions. 


FURTHER READING: 
Stead, W. T. Borderland: A Casebook of True Supernatural Sto- 
ries. Hyde Park, N.Y.: University Books, 1970. 


Murder Headless DEMON who sees through his breasts 
and speaks with the voice taken over from his victims. 

In the Testament of Solomon, Murder is summoned 
to appear before King SOLOMON. He says that he has no 
head and he tries to get one by devouring the heads of 
his victims. Murder grabs hold of heads, cuts them off, 
and attaches them to himself. A fire (heat) that con- 
tinually burns within him consumes the heads through 
his neck. He longs for a head to do what the king does. 
He takes the voices of the dumb by “closing up” their 
heads. 

Murder is like one of the hordes of LILITH, in that he 
attacks infants at night. He harms premature infants, and 
if one 10 days old cries at night, he rushes in and attacks 
it through its voice. Murder causes quartan fever and in- 
flames limbs, inflicts feet, and creates festering sores. He 
is thwarted by fiery flashes of lightning. 

See SCEPTER. 


FURTHER READING: 

The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vols. 1 & 2. Edited by 
James H. Charlesworth. 1983. Reprint, New York: Dou- 
bleday, 1985. 


Murmur FALLEN ANGEL and 54th of the 72 SPIRITS OF 
SOLOMON. Murmur is a duke and earl with 30 LEGIONs of 
DEMONs under his command. He appears as a soldier 
wearing a duke’s crown and riding on a griffin, preceded 
by two ministers sounding trumpets. He teaches philos- 
ophy and makes souls of the dead appear and answer 
questions. Murmur once was partly a member of the 
angelic orders of thrones and ANGELs. 


Naamah In kabbalistic lore, one of four angels of pros- 
titution, a DEMON, and a partner of SAMAEL. Naamah 
means “pleasing.” Naamah is the mother of the great 
demon ASMODEUS and other demons. She seduces men 
and spirits and, with LILITH, causes epilepsy in children. 


Naberius (Cerberus) FALLEN ANGEL and 24th of the 72 
SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. Naberius is a marquis who com- 
mands 19 LEGIONs of DEMONs. He appears as a crowing 
cock and flutters about the magic circle. In a hoarse 
voice, he imparts skill in arts and sciences, especially 
rhetoric. He also restores lost dignities and honors. 


Nancy Possession (1620) Case of demonic POSSESSION 
of a young woman in Lorraine, France. Elizabeth de Ran- 
faing, the DEMONIAC, was exorcized in Nancy. The DEMON 
possessing her demonstrated a remarkable command of 
several foreign languages. 

De Ranfaing was a virtuous woman who was widowed 
in 1617. A doctor named Povoit proposed marriage to her, 
but she declined. Povoit attempted to force her to fall in 
love with him by slipping her herbal love philters. The in- 
gredients damaged her health. The doctor then tried other 
magical concoctions, which worsened her condition. The 
concoctions must have had a psychological effect, for 
symptoms of possession manifested. The doctor soon was 
accused of SORCERY, convicted and burned at the stake. 

De Ranfaing consulted other physicians but none 
could relieve her symptoms. As a final recourse, they rec- 


182 


ommended that she seek EXORCISM. The exorcisms began 
on September 2, 1619, in Remiremont. When no relief 
was obtained, de Ranfaing was sent to Nancy, the capital 
of Lorraine, where she was interviewed and examined by 
more physicians. They affirmed that her symptoms were 
caused by diabolical possession. 

The Exorcists included church officials, theologians, 
monks, physicians, and representatives of the royal court. 
They interrogated the demon in various languages, in- 
cluding Hebrew, Greek, Italian, and Latin, and the demon 
responded accordingly. Once an attempt was made to trip 
up the demon with incorrect Greek; the demon pointed 
out the grammatical error. Sometimes the demon’s an- 
swers were split in languages, with part of a sentence in 
French and part in Latin. 

Using different languages, the exorcists gave various 
instructions to the demon, which it understood and car- 
ried out. The demon forced de Ranfaing to make signs 
of the cross, carry holy water, kiss the feet of the bishop 
of Toul, and make body movements and postures. The 
demon gave correct answers to questions about Catho- 
lic theology and revealed secret sins of those present. 
Sometimes the exorcists did not even have to speak out 
loud; the demon understood movements of their lips and 
even movements of their hands. The demon also pointed 
out Calvinist and Puritan witnesses who were present to 
watch the exorcisms. 

Critics of the possession were reprimanded. Claude 
Pithoy, a Minimite monk, declared that he should be- 


Nephilim 183 


come possessed himself if the case were real. Pithoy was 
silenced by his superiors. 

De Ranfaing was finally exorcized of the demon and 
founded an order of nuns. The exorcists signed state- 
ments attesting to the validity of her possession, and the 
case was documented in 1622 by a respected physician 
named Prichard. 


FURTHER READING: 

Calmet, Dom Augustin. The Phantom World: Concerning 
Apparitions and Vampires. Ware, England: Wordsworth 
Editions in association with The Folklore Society, 2001. 


Nantes incubus (12th century) DEMON who had sex 
with a woman for at least six years, before being exor- 
cized by St. Bernard. 

When St. Bernard traveled to Nantes, Brittany, France, 
in 1135 to visit monks, he learned of a woman who was 
said to have enjoyed sexual intercourse with an INCUBUS. 
The supernatural affair had lasted six years before she ap- 
parently felt guilty and confessed her sin to priests. They 
prescribed for her almsgiving, pilgrimages, and interces- 
sory prayer to saints. None of the remedies expelled the 
incubus. The woman’s husband learned of the matter and 
left her. The incubus became more sexually aggressive. 

The woman went to St. Bernard and appealed for his 
help. She said the demon had told her that her appeal 
would be useless. Bernard comforted her and told her to 
return the next day. She did and relayed the demon’s ter- 
rible threats to her. St. Bernard gave her his staff and told 
her to take it to bed with her. As long as the staff was in 
the bed, the incubus could not approach her. Enraged, the 
demon made threats of what he would do once the saint 
left town with his staff. 

On the next Sunday, St. Bernard told all the towns- 
people to go to church with lighted candles. He took 
the pulpit, told about the case, and then anathematized 
the demon, forbidding him in the name of Christ to as- 
sault the victim or any other woman. When the candles 
were extinguished, the demon’s powers were ended. The 
woman was troubled no more. 


FURTHER READING: 
Lea, Henry Charles. Materials toward a History of Witchcraft. 
Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1939. 


Nemesis Greek goddess of vengeance, divine justice, 
and retribution against evil deeds. Nemesis, whose name 
means “dispenser of dues,” was called upon by ancient 
Greeks and Romans to exorcise and avert DEMONs and 
POSSESSION. 

In mythology, Nemesis is the daughter of either Ocea- 
nus or Zeus. She is usually portrayed as a somber winged 
maiden with a whip, rein, sword, or scales in her left 
hand. Sometimes she is portrayed as holding a cubit ruler 
in her left hand and a staff in her right, with one foot ona 
wheel. She personifies resentment against men who com- 


mit callous crimes, those who are wicked and insolent, 
and those who have too much good fortune. Her job is to 
be the “leveler,” to effect equilibrium by making sure that 
wrongdoers get their due. 

The Romans called Nemesis Invidia (Jealousy) and 
Rivalitas (Jealous Rivalry). In modern terms, a “nemesis” 
is one’s worst enemy. 

Nemesis-stone rings were AMULETs against evil. A Nem- 
esis stone was a stone taken from an altar to Nemesis and 
engraved with her image. Placed under the stone were the 
tip of a duck wing and a piece of a mullein, called “death 
plant.” When this ring amulet was given to a person who 
was possessed, it caused the demon to confess himself 
and flee. When worn around the neck, the ring warded 
off nightmares caused by demons and protected children 
against LAMIAE. The ring also cured “moonstruck” condi- 
tions (insanity). In order for the ring to work properly, the 
wearer had to avoid everything abominable and wicked. 
Lore also held that the ring would reveal the length of 
someone’s life and the manner of his or her death. 


FURTHER READING: 

Ogden, Daniel. Magic, Witchcraft, and Ghosts in the Greek and 
Roman Worlds: A Sourcebook. New York: Oxford Univer- 
sity Press, 2002. 


Nephilim A race of giants spawned by the cohabita- 
tion of ANGELs (see WATCHERS) and human women. 
Nephilim means “fallen,” “those who have fallen,” or 
“those who were cast down.” The Nephilim sometimes 
are called the SONS OF GOD, as are their angel parents. 
Helel is their chief. The Nephilim displeased God. 

Genesis 6:4 implies that the Nephilim were already 
present upon the earth when the Sons of God began their 
relations with mortal women: “The Nephilim were upon 
the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons 
of god came into the daughters of men, and they bore 
children to them. These were the mighty men that were 
of old, the men of renown.” The corruption brought by 
the mingling of angels and humans caused God to regret 
that he had created human beings on Earth. He decided 
to blot out not only the human race but every living thing 
on Earth. He selected Noah and his family to survive this 
disaster, the great flood, and repopulate the world. 

Evidently not all the Nephilim perished, however, for 
a later reference in Numbers refers to the Anakim, the 
sons of the Nephilim: “And there we saw the Nephilim 
(the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim); and we 
seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers and so we seemed 
to them” (13:33). The Anakim were later destroyed. 

1 Enoch presents a more descriptive picture of the 
Nephilim as monstrous beings: 


And the women became pregnant and gave birth to great 
giants whose heights were 300 cubits. These (giants) 
consumed the produce of all the people until the people 
detested feeding them. So the giants turned against the 


184 Nisroc 


(people) in order to eat them. And they began to sin 
against birds, wild beasts, reptiles and fish. And their 
flesh was devoured the one by the other, and they drank 
blood. And then the earth brought an accusation against 
the oppressors. (7:3-7) 


Meanwhile, the Watchers spread more corruption 
by teaching people secret and magical arts they are not 
supposed to know. From the heavens above, the an- 
gels Michael, Gabriel, and Surafal observe in horror the 
bloodshed and oppression upon the earth. They hear the 
prayers of the people begging for help. They petition God 
to intervene, saying that the giants have filled Earth with 
blood and oppression. God declares that he will punish 
these transgressions with complete destruction in the 
flood. He tells Gabriel: 


Proceed against the bastards and the reprobates and the 
children of adultery; and destroy the children of adultery 
and expel the children of the Watchers from among the 
people and send them against one another (so that) they 
may be destroyed in the fight, for length of days have 
they not. They will beg you everything—for their fathers 
on behalf of themselves because they hope to live an 
eternal life. (They hope) that each one of them will live a 
period of 500 years. (10:9-11) 


The Nephilim also are the subject of a Qumran text re- 
ferred to as the Enochic Book of Giants (4Q532). The text 
tells that two Nephilim sons of SEMYAZA (leader of the 
Watchers), named Ahya and Ohya, have a shared dream 
vision in which they visit a world garden and see 200 trees 
being cut down by angels. They do not understand the 


dream and so they take it to the Nephilim council. The 
council appoints one of their members, Mahawai, to con- 
sult Enoch in paradise and ask him what it means. Maha- 
wai rises up into the air like the whirlwinds and flies with 
the help of his hands like an eagle until he reaches Enoch. 
Enoch says that the 200 trees symbolize the 200 Watch- 
ers who are going to be destroyed in the coming flood. 

Later in the text, Mahawai transforms into a bird 
again to make another journey. He flies too close to the 
Sun and is threatened with incineration. He is saved by 
Enoch, whose voice descends from heaven to tell him to 
turn back and not die prematurely. 


FURTHER READING: 

The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vols. 1 & 2. Edited by 
James H. Charlesworth. 1983. Reprint, New York: Dou- 
bleday, 1985. 

Collins, Andrew. From the Ashes of Angels: The Forbidden 
Legacy of a Fallen Race. London: Signet Books, 1996. 
Eisenman, Robert, and Michael Wise. The Dead Sea Scrolls 

Uncovered. London: Element Books, 1992. 


Nisroc Assyrian deity who became both a good ANGEL 
and a FALLEN ANGEL. As a fallen angel in HELL, Nisroc 
rules cuisine in the House of Princes. As a holy angel, he 
rules the order of principalities. 


Niyaz In ZOROASTRIANISM, the DEMON of want, dis- 
tress, and scarcity. Niyaz is often paired with Az, the 
demon of avarice, insatiability, gluttony, and lust. Niyaz 
is powerful and haughty and is behind the evil deeds and 
disasters of people's lives and their ill-omened deaths. 


Obry, Nicole See MIRACLE OF LAON. 

obsession A state of being besieged by DEMONs. Obses- 
sion is derived from the Latin obsidere and refers to a 
state of siege or an attack on a person or personality from 
without. Sometimes the term is used interchangeably 
with OPPRESSION or even POSSESSION; however, this is not 
accurate, for possession entails being completely taken 
over within. 

The literature of saints, monks, and hermits describes 
numerous cases of obsession as part of a holy person's 
spiritual challenges. The Life of St. Hilary describes how 
the saint’s “temptations were numerous;... how often 
when he lay down did naked women appear to him.” St. 
Anthony endured the most famous obsession during his 
withdrawal into the desert. When he tried to sleep, the 
DEVIL assumed the form of a woman and tried to seduce 
him with feminine gestures. (See SuCCUBUS.) Other holy 
or biblical figures, such as Saul, also suffered obsessive 
spirits. 

In the 17th century, a young Spanish nun, Doña Mi- 
caela de Aguirre, was obsessed by the Devil. Irritated by 
Doña Micaela’s perfection, the Devil began tormenting 
her, appearing one night in the shape of a horse. He stood 
on Micaela with his full weight, kicking and trampling 
her and leaving her severely bruised. Sometimes the Devil 
immersed Doña Micaela in the convent well up to her 
neck, leaving her there all night. In the end, according to 
her biographer, Dofia Micaela triumphed. “Mocking his 


185 


cunning she bade him fetch an ax and chop wood. And 
the enemy could not disobey her [for she was a saint]; 
he took the ax and chopped the wood up with all haste 
and departed in confusion, roaring with anger at being 
defeated by a young nun.” 

In modern psychiatry, obsession refers to total domi- 
nation by a fixed idea, which controls or affects all other 
actions, such as constantly checking to see whether a door 
is locked or believing that deadly germs are everywhere. 


Obyzouth Female DEMON whose principal acts of evil 
are to kill newborn infants and cause others to be still- 
born, making her comparable to the LAMIAE and the off- 
spring of LILITH. 

In the Testament of Solomon, Obyzouth appears with 
disheveled hair and arrogantly refuses to answer ques- 
tions until King SOLOMON has purified himself by wash- 
ing his hands and has sat on his throne. The king com- 
plies. Obyzouth describes how she travels about every 
night, visiting women as they give birth and strangling 
their newborns. She is successful every night, going to 
even the remotest parts of Earth. She also injures eyes, 
condemns mouths, destroys minds, and makes bodies 
feel pain. 

Obyzouth says Solomon cannot give her orders. 
However, she is thwarted by the archangel Raphael (see 
THWARTING ANGELS) and admits that she will flee to the 
“other world” (the realm of demons) if women who are in 
labor write her name on a piece of parchment. 


186 Oesterreich, Traugott Konstantin 


The horrified king has Obyzouth bound by her hair 
and hung in front of the Temple of Jerusalem, so that ev- 
eryone who passes through will glorify the God of Israel, 
who has given Solomon command over the demons. 


FURTHER READING: 

The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vols. 1 & 2. Edited by 
James H. Charlesworth. 1983. Reprint, New York: Dou- 
bleday, 1985. 


Oesterreich, Traugott Konstantin (1880-1949) Ger- 
man professor of philosophy and author of a classic work 
on POSSESSION and EXORCISM. 

Traugott Konstantin (T. K.) Oesterreich was born in 
Germany in 1880. Little is known of his personal life. In 
1910, he took a philosophy teaching post at a university 
in Tubingen, Germany, and he became professor there in 
1922. 

In 1933, the Nazi government dismissed him from 
his university post, apparently because of his marriage 
in 1912 to a Jewish woman and his political writings 
in 1919, which later provoked the dislike of the Nazis. 
He was forced into retirement on a severely limited 
pension. 

After the defeat of the Nazis in 1945 in World War 
Il, he was reinstated at the university but soon was dis- 
missed again, allegedly because he was near retirement 
age. He may have been terminated because of his deep 
interest in psychical research and in cases of possession. 

Oesterreich is the author of Possession: Demoniacal 
& Other, a comprehensive examination of states of pos- 
session, both voluntary and involuntary, since ancient 
times, and in various cultures, and the exorcisms applied 
for relief. The book has been reprinted as Possession and 
Exorcism. 


FURTHER READING: 
Oesterreich, Traugott K. Possession and Exorcism. Secaucus, 
NJ: University Books, 1966. 


Omen, The (1976) Horror film about the birth of the 
ANTICHRIST. The film, scripted by David Seltzer and 
directed by Richard Donner, features the birth of the son 
of SATAN to fulfill biblical prophecies of Armageddon. 

The film stars Gregory Peck and Lee Remick as the 
unwitting adoptive parents of the Antichrist, whom they 
name Damien (Harvey Stephens). Peck and Remick are 
Robert (Jeremy in the novel) and Katharine Thorn, a 
prosperous American couple living in Italy, where Robert 
is the U.S. ambassador. They want to start a family. Trag- 
edy strikes when Katharine gives birth in a hospital, and 
Robert is informed that the child was stillborn. Before 
she realizes what has happened, Robert is approached by 
a priest and offered a newborn child whose mother has 
just died in childbirth. Desperate to save his wife a cri- 
sis, Robert takes the child and presents it to Katharine as 
their own son. 


The family relocates to London. As the child grows, 
strange things happen in the household, including the 
apparent suicide of the nanny and a bizarre impaling of a 
priest who knows the real secret, that Damien is the son 
of the DEVIL, the Antichrist. 

Robert realizes the awful truth with the help of a pho- 
tographer, Keith Jennings (David Warner). He reveals it to 
Katharine. They return to the hospital and learn from the 
priest the location of the grave of Damien’s real mother. 
The priest dies. The couple find the grave and disinter the 
woman. They are horrified to find the skeleton of a jackal 
where the woman should be buried and that of a newborn 
whose skull has been smashed. The murdered child is the 
real son of the Thorns. The priest deceived them in order 
to pass Damien on to them. 

Deaths of people involved with Damien continue. 
Katharine dies when she is thrown over a railing by their 
new nanny, Mrs. Baylock (Billie Whitelaw). Robert and 
Jennings travel to Tel Megiddo, Israel, and find an archae- 
ologist, Carl Bugenhagen, who knows how to kill the An- 
tichrist, with seven special daggers. Robert acquires the 
daggers but is emotionally unable to kill the child. Jen- 
nings tries to take over the job but is killed himself in a 
gruesome accident of decapitation by a pane of glass atop 
a runaway truck. 

Robert returns to London, where the nanny’s demonic 
Rottweiler attacks him. He removes the last bit of doubt 
about the true identity of his adopted son when he snips 
away some of Damien’s hair and discovers 666, the “Mark 
of the Beast,” on his scalp (see SIX-SIX-SIX). Robert fights 
the nanny and manages to stab her to death. 

Robert seizes Damien and takes him to a church, in- 
tending to lay him on the altar and stab him to death in 
a sacrificial manner. He pulls out a dagger and then hesi- 
tates. He is shot by police who pursued him and Damien 
into the church. 

The film ends with the double funeral of Robert and 
Katharine. Damien, the Antichrist, has triumphed and is 
shown holding the hand of the president of the United 
States. 

Selzter wrote a novelization of the film, which became 
a best-seller. 

The Omen was remade in 2006 in a film directed by 
John Moore and starring Liev Schrieber as Robert Thorn, 
Julia Stiles as Katharine, and Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick 
as Damien. Seltzer declined to write the screenplay. 

A sequel to the original film, The Omen II, was released 
in 1978. Directed by Don Taylor, it stars William Holden 
and Lee Grant as Richard and Ann Thorn, Damien’s aunt 
and uncle, and Jonathan Scott-Taylor as Damien. Damien, 
living with his wealthy relatives in Chicago, is now 13 
and knows his true identity. He is enrolled in a military 
academy along with Mark, Richard’s son by his first mar- 
riage. Damien is not well liked. 

An industrialist, Richard invests in Third World coun- 
tries. Unbeknownst to him, secret allies of Damien help 


Onoskelis 187 


al, 


Jonathan Scott-Taylor as Damien, the Antichrist, in Damien: The Omen II (1978) (AUTHOR'S COLLECTION) 


him buy up land as part of the fulfillment of the Anti- 
christ’s 10 kingdoms on Earth. People who refuse to sell 
to Thorn Industries are murdered. 

Meanwhile, a journalist, Joan Hart, investigates the 
strange earlier death of Carl Bugenhagen, who knew Da- 
mien’s secret. She tries to warn Richard but is neutralized 
when a satanic crow pecks out her eyes. 

Others who learn Damien’s secret also are dealt with 
in grisly ways. Damien even kills his stepbrother, Mark. 
Richard tries in vain to stop Damien, but he is stabbed to 
death by Anne, who reveals herself as the Whore of Baby- 
lon. She herself is killed when Damien causes a boiler to 
explode and she bursts into flames. Damien is left once 
again triumphant, this time heir to a fortune that will en- 
able him to pursue his plans freely. 

Omen III: The Final Conflict was released in 1981. Di- 
rected by Graham Baker, the film stars Sam Neill as the 
now-adult Damien Thorn; Lisa Harrow as the journalist 
Kate Reynolds, and Rossano Brazzi as the priest Father 
DeCarlo, who has the divine assignment to kill the An- 
tichrist. Damien is a charismatic figure with slavish fol- 
lowers, the U.S. ambassador to England, and a favorite to 


run for president of the United States. He is romantically 
involved with Reynolds. 

An unusual alignment of stars in the sky creates a new 
Star of Bethlehem and tells Damien that the Second Com- 
ing of Christ is at hand. He secretly orders the murders of 
all male infants in England. Those who try to thwart the 
plan die. Father DeCarlo, who has the Seven Daggers of 
Megiddo, hunts for Damien with a band of priests. All but 
DeCarlo are killed. 

DeCarlo knows that Christ will reappear as an adult, 
not as an infant, but he remains intent on slaying Damien. 
Tragically, Damien uses Reynolds’ teenage son as a shield, 
and DeCarlo kills him instead. But Reynolds sneaks up 
behind and fatally stabs Damien in the back. He calls out 
for Christ to appear, and he does, telling Damien, “You 
have won nothing.” 


Onoskelis Female DEMON. In the Testament of Solo- 
mon, Onoskelis is summoned by BEELZEBUB to the pres- 
ence of King SOLOMON, when the king asks whether 
there are any female demons and says he wants to see 
one. 


188 oppression 


Onoskelis appears in the form of a beautiful woman 
with a fair complexion and the legs of a mule. She says 
she lives in caves, cliffs, and ravines and perverts men 
and strangles them. They think they will obtain gold 
through her, but she gives little to those who worship her. 
She travels by the full Moon and is associated with the 
constellation of Capricorn. She is thwarted by the name 
Yahweh (Holy One of Israel). 

Solomon uses the name of Yahweh and his magical 
ring to bind Onoskelis in a standing position to work day 
and night spinning hemp for ropes used in the construc- 
tion of the Temple of Jerusalem. 


FURTHER READING: 

The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vols. 1 & 2. Edited by 
James H. Charlesworth. 1983. Reprint, New York: Dou- 
bleday, 1985. 


oppression Demonic influence over a person that 
involves total domination of the victim’s will, either 
through a horrendous bombardment of external terrors 
or through an internal, psychological breakdown. 
Oppression follows INFESTATION and can progress to full 
demonic POSSESSION. It is also referred to as “vexation.” 

Oppressed victims are terrorized by demonic blood- 
curdling screams; heavy breathing and footsteps; 
knockings, rappings, and poundings; hellish moans 
and inhuman voices through televisions or telephones; 
nightmares and disturbed sleep; putrid and disgusting 
smells, such as sulfur, rotting flesh, and excrement; ex- 
tremes of hot and cold, often in succession; levitation of 
people or large objects and furniture; and, finally, mate- 
rializations of a black form that personifies evil. 

Internally, the demon causes the victim to believe he 
or she is insane. There are dramatic personality changes 
and mood swings and deep depression. The victim be- 
comes argumentative and makes heavy use of foul or ob- 
scene language. Friends and family feel the victim has 
undergone a marked personality change. 

Oppression is relieved by rites of EXORCISM, accompa- 
nied by the spiritual reform of the victim. 


Orias FALLEN ANGEL and 59th of the 72 SPIRITS OF SOL- 
OMON. Orias is a marquis who has 30 LEGIONs of DEMONs. 
He appears as a lion with a serpent’s tail that rides a 
horse and holds two huge, hissing snakes. He teaches the 
virtues of the planets and stars. He transforms men; 
grants dignities, prelacies, and confirmations; and con- 
fers the favor of friends and enemies. 


Ornias One of the FALLEN ANGELS, who is bested by 
King SOLOMON. According to the Testament of Solomon, 
Ornias is an annoying, vampirizing DEMON who lives in 
the constellation Aquarius. He has shape-shifting ability: 
He strangles men born under the sign of Aquarius 
because they have passion for women born under the 
sign of Virgo; he becomes a man who likes boys and 


causes them pain when he touches them; he turns into a 
heavenly winged creature; and he can assume the form 
of a lion. 

During the construction of Solomon's Temple of Jeru- 
salem, Ornias appears at sunset and takes half the wages 
and food of the master workman’s boy—Solomon’s favor- 
ite—and sucks out his soul through his right thumb. The 
boy grows thin. Solomon asks him why he is losing weight, 
and the boy tells him about Ornias. Incensed, Solomon 
begs God for help to have authority over the demon. The 
archangel Michael gives him a magical ring with a seal 
engraved upon it that will bestow the power upon Solo- 
mon. Michael tells Solomon, “You shall imprison all the 
demons, male and female, and with their help you shall 
build Jerusalem when you bear this seal of God.” 

Solomon gives the ring to the boy and instructs him 
to fling it at the demon’s chest when he next appears and 
order him to go to Solomon. When Ornias next appears, 
as a flaming fire, the boy does so and shouts, “Come! Sol- 
omon summons you!” Ornias screams and promises to 
give the boy all the gold and silver on Earth if he will give 
the ring back to Solomon. But the boy binds the demon 
and delivers him to the king. 

Solomon finds the demon trembling at his gates and 
goes to interrogate him. Ornias says that he is descended 
from an archangel and is thwarted by the archangel Uriel 
(see THWARTING ANGELS). He says he resides in the con- 
stellation Aquarius, where he strangles “those who reside 
in Aquarius because of their passion for women whose 
zodiacal sign is Virgo.” Ornias says that while in trance, 
he undergoes three transformations: “Sometimes I am a 
man who craves the bodies of effeminate boys, and when 
I touch them, they suffer great pain. Sometimes I am a 
creature with wings (flying) up to the heavenly regions. 
Finally, I assume the appearance of a lion.” 

Solomon binds the demon with his ring and sets him to 
work cutting stone from the quarry. Terrified by IRON, the 
demon begs for a measure of freedom, promising to call 
up other demons. Solomon summons Uriel, who forces 
Ornias to cut stones by terrorizing him. Uriel calls up sea 
monsters and withers them, casting them to the ground. 

When that work is done, Solomon orders Ornias to 
fetch the Prince of Demons. He gives Ornias the magical 
ring, and the demon goes to BEELZEBUB. The Prince of De- 
mons is unimpressed by the name of Solomon, so Ornias 
throws the ring at his chest and commands him to go to 
the king. Beelzebub cries out like one burned by fire and 
does as commanded. 

Ornias has the gift of prophecy, explaining to Solo- 
mon that demons fly up to heaven, where they overhear 
God’s plans. Those who are exhausted by doing so be- 
come FALLING STARS. 


FURTHER READING: 

The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vols. 1 & 2. Edited by 
James H. Charlesworth. 1983. Reprint, New York: Dou- 
bleday, 1985. 


Ouija™ 189 


Orobas FALLEN ANGEL and 55th of the 72 SPIRITS OF 
SOLOMON. Orobas is a prince in HELL, where he governs 
20 LEGIONs of DEMONs. He makes his first appearance as 
a horse but then changes to a man upon command. He 
discovers all things past and present and bestows great 
favors. He gives true answers to questions about the past, 
present, and future; divinity, and the creation of the 
world. Orobas is faithful to magicians and does not like 
them to be tempted by any other demon. Prior to his fall, 
he was in the angelic order of thrones. 


Ose FALLEN ANGEL and 57th of the 72 SPIRITS OF SOLO- 
MON. Ose is a president in HELL, who appears first as a 
leopard and then as a human. He teaches all liberal sci- 
ences and gives true answers to questions about divine 
and secret things. He can change people into any shape 
desired by the magician; the victims will not know they 
have been changed. He commands three LEGIONS of 
DEMONs. According to JOHANN WEYER, Ose also will 
make people insane and delusional, so that they will 
believe they are kings and such. The delusions only last 
for an hour. 


Ouija™ A patented game consisting of a board printed 
with letters and numbers, and the words yes, no, goodbye, 
over which players slide a three-legged triangular 
pointer, used by many people for divination and attempts 
to contact the dead and spirits. The users place fingertips 
on the pointer and ask questions, and the pointer spells 
out the answers. Ouija is a trademarked name owned by 
Parker Brothers. A generic term for devices similar to the 
Ouija is “talking board.” 

As an interface between worlds, the Ouija is neutral, 
neither good nor evil. It is said to be dangerous by au- 
thorities in the Christian Church, who claim it provides a 
doorway for evil DEMONs to possess the users. Advocates 
of the Ouija say the device reveals the subconscious of the 
user or is an interface to genuine spirit communication. 


History 
Precursors to the Ouija date to Greece around 540 B.C.E. 
Pythagoras was said to have a divination tool that was a 
table that rolled on wheels. Pythagoras or a pupil placed his 
hands on the table, and it rolled toward signs and symbols. 

Ouija-like instruments were used through the Middle 
Ages. The forerunner of the modern Ouija was the planch- 
ette (French for little board), a triangular or heart-shaped 
pointer on three legs, which appeared in Europe in 1853. 
Its invention is usually attributed to a French spiritualist 
named M. Planchette. One leg was a pencil, which wrote 
out words and drew pictures. The planchette was popular 
with spiritualists and was used in séances for automatic 
writing. 

A type of talking board used by Native Americans was 
called a squdilatc. 

The Ouija board itself has had a turbulent history. The 
origin of the board is murky: No one knows exactly where 


the inspiration originated and even who was the first to 
produce it. The Ouija seems to blend the characteristics 
of the planchette, minus the pencil, and dial plates, which 
were circular boards with letters painted along the bot- 
tom rim. Two persons concentrated on a rocking T-bar 
that spelled out messages by pointing to letters. 

The Ouija may have been the idea of a coffin maker, 
E. C. Reiche, who lived in Maryland in the 19th century. 
According to lore, Reiche had an interest in table tilting, 
in which a group of people sit around a table with hands 
lightly touching its surface and ask questions of spirits. 
The answers are given in the manner in which the table 
moves, shakes, and rocks. Reiche desired to create a de- 
vice for communicating with the dead, and he was im- 
pressed that heavy tables seemed to be easily manipulated 
by spirits. He teamed up with two friends, Elijah Bond 
and Charles Kennard. At some point, Reiche dropped out 
of the picture. 

The Kennard Novelty Company began manufacturing 
the Ouija in 1890. It is not clear whether Kennard or Bond 
founded the company or if they worked together. But later, 
each claimed to have been the founder. The patent for the 
Ouija was registered in Bond’s name in 1891. 

Also unclear is the origin of the name Ouija. Accord- 
ing to one story, Kennard was given the name by a spirit 
while he was using the board himself. The spirit claimed 
it meant “good luck” in ancient Egyptian. Another story 
says that Reiche thought of the name. 

The Ouija was sold initially as a device for talking to 
spirits, which angered mediums, who feared they would 
lose business. The early success of the company was short- 
lived, however, for in 1892 it was lost in a hostile takeover 
by two of Kennard’s own financial supporters, the broth- 
ers Isaac and William Fuld. The patent for the Ouija was 
reregistered the same year in the name of William Fuld, 
and the company’s name was changed to the Ouija Nov- 
elty Company. William Fuld also reinvented some of the 
board’s history, claiming credit himself for its invention. 
He said the name Ouija really was from the French and 
German words for “yes,” oui and ja, respectively. 

The new company had a difficult time. Competitors 
jumped into the market. Isaac manipulated the financial 
books and was fired by William, who then changed the 
company name again, to the Baltimore Talking Board 
Company. Isaac set up a rival company called Oriole and 
began marketing a near-duplicate board. In 1910, William 
added a clear plastic window to his planchette. 

The brothers engaged in a legal battle for control of 
the patent; William won. “Ouija, the Mystifying Oracle” 
soared in popularity during and after World War I, as 
thousands of bereaved persons attempted to contact the 
spirits of soldiers killed in the war. Fuld publicly claimed 
not to use the board himself, but many people believed 
that he did. 

The company ran into federal tax trouble. Fuld had 
tried to avoid paying taxes on the grounds that the Ouija 


190 Ouija™ 


was a scientific device for mediumship and therefore 
qualified for religious status tax exemption. The federal 
government considered it a “sporting game.” A federal 
court ruled in favor of the government. Fuld appealed 
to the U.S. Supreme Court, which in 1922 upheld the 
lower court ruling. The Ouija has been a game or toy ever 
since. 

By the late 1920s, the Ouija fad was in decline. In 1927, 
Fuld, 54, was on the roof of his company when he fell 
three stories to his death. His company was taken over 
by his sons, William and Hubert. In 1966, Parker Broth- 
ers, of Salem, Massachusetts, the maker of Monopoly and 
other games, bought the company. Parker Brothers pur- 
chased the trademark and rights in 1966 and markets the 
Ouija as entertainment. 


Pros and Cons of the Ouija 

Until the 1960s, the Ouija was considered to be mostly 
benign in nature. People used it to try to contact the dead, 
for divination of the future and for entertainment, to ob- 
tain messages from spirits. Clergy have criticized and de- 
nounced it, as they might any popular device or method 
used by people for do-it-yourself spirit contact. 

There are two theories as to the sources of answers 
derived from a Ouija board. One school of thought 
holds that the subconscious prompts the hands to spell 
out the answers most desired. The second holds that 
real entities are contacted, many of which are negative, 
earthbound spirits who have not accepted their deaths 
and are bent on possessing living human beings. A per- 
son who uses a Ouija invites entities to communicate, 
providing an opening through which evil beings gain a 
foothold. 

The Ouija is credited with helping users discover 
spiritual insights and self-truths and aiding in creativity. 
In 1913, Pearl Curran, a St. Louis homemaker, began re- 
ceiving communications from “Patience Worth,” a 16th- 
century English woman, via the Ouija. Worth, speaking 
in an old English dialect, dictated an astounding volume 
of poetry and novels. In 1919, Betty and Stewart Edward 
White were using a Ouija as a lark with friends, when 
suddenly Betty was instructed to “get a pencil” and take 
dictation. Thus began a long relationship with the “Invis- 
ibles,” who seemed to be higher entities, who dispensed 
metaphysical wisdom. Stewart compiled it into The Betty 
Book. In 1963, Jane Roberts was using the Ouija when she 
met Seth, who purported to be a highly developed entity, 
who dictated highly regarded books on metaphysics. The 
Pulitzer Prize-winning poet James Merrill composed his 
epic The Changing Light at Sandover from two decades of 
spirit communications via the Ouija. The New Age author 
Ruth Montgomery began her channeling with a Ouija 
then moved to automatic typing. 

The Ouija has not been without problems, however. 
Throughout its history, people have claimed to be in- 
structed to commit crimes—even murder—via the Ouija 


and have blamed cases of insanity on the board. However, 
it is possible that such unstable individuals were already 
so inclined and were not “forced” by “spirits” to do any- 
thing beyond their inclinations and control. 

Sexual assaults, beatings, torment, OBSESSION, and POS- 
SESSION also have been blamed on spirit contacts initiated 
via Ouija boards. At first, users think they are talking with 
dead people they know or friendly spirits. After benign 
beginnings, the communications turn dark and threaten- 
ing as malicious and evil demons reveal their true selves. 
The demons engage in vicious attacks such as physical in- 
jury, rape, nightmares, visions of monsters, poltergeistlike 
disturbances, and even levitation of victims. Some victims 
must seek psychiatric help. Some psychiatrists and psy- 
chologists say the “possession” is not caused by entities 
but by material dredged up from the subconscious. The 
“evil spirit” may be only the prankster archetype. 

Since some people expect problems from Ouija use, 
it is difficult to ascertain how many problems are genu- 
ine versus self-fulfilled expectations. Some problems may 
arise from open-ended use without control or discern- 
ment: People ask for any spirit to manifest. The great 
English magician and occultist ALEISTER CROWLEY was 
critical of this approach and once stated, “When you use 
the Ouija board, you give permission for any unknown 
spirit to communicate with you. Would you open the 
front door to your house and let in anybody who felt like 
it? Of course not.” 

ED AND LORRAINE WARREN, demonologists, called the 
Ouija “a notorious passkey to terror, even when the intent 
of communication is decidedly positive in nature.” Of the 
thousands of demonic and negative cases the Warrens 
claimed to have investigated in their careers, they said 
four of 10 involved problems resulting from the Ouija. Ed 
said that all doors to the supernatural—the Ouija, séances, 
conjuring and candle rituals, and automatic writing de- 
vices—“lead down a road of misfortune, terror, and ruin.” 

One of the Warrens’ most sensational cases involved 
a Ouija board. In March 1974, they were consulted by the 
Donovan family, whose daughter, Patty, had been using 
a Ouija board for months to talk to a spirit who said he 
had died as a teenager. Patty asked the spirit to manifest, 
and the Donovan household began experiencing unpleas- 
ant phenomena of destruction, rains of rocks, levitation 
of objects, the manifestation of black forms, and noises. 
The Warrens investigated, and the case was turned over 
to Catholic clergy for exorcism. A successful rite was 
performed on May 2, 1974, during which a demon mani- 
fested as a seven-foot-tall being with horns, cloven feet, 
and a tail, according to the Warrens. 


Responsibilities of Users 

Many paranormal investigators and occultists say they 
have no problem using the Ouija, and the key is respon- 
sible use. Any spirit interface device should not be used 
for entertainment or for open calls to the spirit world; nor 


Ouija™ 191 


should participants use alcohol or drugs prior to or dur- 
ing sessions. Boards should never be used to contact or 
conjure demonic entities. 


FURTHER READING: 

Brittle, Gerald Daniel. The Demonologist: The Extraordinary 
Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren. Englewood Cliffs, NJ.: 
Prentice-Hall, 1980. 

Cornelius, J. Edward. Aleister Crowley and the Ouija Board. 
Los Angeles: Feral House, 2005. 


Covina, Gina. The Ouija Book. New York: Simon & Schuster, 
1979. 

Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. “Why Are We Bashing the Ouija?” 
TAPS Paramagazine, July 2007, 7-9. 

Hunt, Stoker. Ouija: The Most Dangerous Game. New York: 
Harper & Row, 1985. 

Taylor, Troy. The Devil Came to St. Louis: The True Story of 
the 1949 Exorcism. Alton, Ill.: Whitechapel Productions 
Press, 2006. 


pact A binding agreement with a DEMON or the DEVIL 
for gain and services beyond the power of nature, usually 
in exchange for one’s soul. 

The Devil's pact is implied in biblical passages. In the 
book of Isaiah, the prophet Isaiah says, “For you have 
said: We have entered into a league with death; we have 
made a covenant with hell” (28:15). Matthew 4 tells about 
the temptations of JEsus in the wilderness, and the Dev- 
il’s promises of glory and power in return for worship: 
“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and 
showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory 
of them; and he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if 
you will fall down and worship me’” (4:8). Jesus refuses 
and the Devil leaves. 


Legendary Pacts 
Informal pacts with demons and the Devil exist in leg- 
end and folklore tales about individuals seduced into sell- 
ing their souls, often to obtain treasure, love, or power. 
The Devil's pact is based on a long history of assumption 
among theologians that any practice of magic, or even 
divination had to involve a demonic pact. (See SIMON 
MAGUS.) Such assertions were made by Origen (185-254), 
who condemned divination. St. Augustine (354-430), one 
of the most important fathers of the early church, gave 
weight to the concept of Devil’s pacts in De Doctinia Chris- 
tiana. Formal pacts with the Devil appeared for the first 
time in the writings of St. Jerome in the fifth century. 
Jerome’s story involves St. Basil. A man who wishes 
to seduce a pretty girl goes to a magician for help. For 


192 


payment, he agrees to renounce Christ in writing. The 
magician writes a letter to the Devil to advise him of his 
conquest. The magician tells the man to take his renun- 
ciation and go out at night and thrust it up into the air. 

The man does as told and calls upon the powers of 
darkness. He is taken to the presence of LUCIFER and un- 
dergoes a parody of a BAPTISM in which he reaffirms his 
renunciation of Christ. Lucifer insists that he sign a pact 
in writing. The man does so, and the Devil causes the girl 
to fall in love with the man. Her father refuses to allow 
her to marry him, for he desires his daughter to become 
a nun. The girl gives in to her lover. St. Basil learns about 
the pact, helps the man repent, and saves the girl from 
going to HELL. 

Another of the earliest Christian stories of a pact with 
the Devil concerns THEOPHILUS, treasurer of the church 
of Adana, who allegedly sold his soul to the Devil around 
538 in order to become a bishop. The story of Theophi- 
lus was told in many variations throughout Europe and 
became the basis for the legend of FAUST. It also boosted 
the cult of the Blessed Virgin Mary, for it is she who often 
appears in the stories to save the person. 

In the 13th century, St. Thomas Aquinas (ca. 1227- 
74), the church’s greatest theologian, stated in Sententiae, 
“Magicians perform miracles through personal contracts 
made with demons.” 

Stories of Devil’s pacts were common in the Middle 
Ages, and particularly in the 16th and 17th centuries 
during the witch hysteria. The victim usually was not 


a witch, but an ordinary person who was vulnerable to 
temptation. (See MAILLOT, THOMAS.) Satan or a demon 
would appear, sometimes as a man and sometimes as an 
animal, and offer to help. The pact would last for a speci- 
fied number of years, at which time Satan would collect: 
The victim would die and his soul would go to HELL. In 
the legend of Faust, a scientist and alchemist sells his soul 
to MEPHISTOPHELES in exchange for youth and lust. A fe- 
male version of the Faust legend is MARY OF NEMMEGEN. 
These moralistic stories were publicized through pam- 
phlets and portrayed Satan as a trickster. The victim, de- 
spite supernatural favors, usually had a dreadful demise. 
Sometimes the Virgin Mary would intercede for the vic- 
tims and snatch the pacts away from the Devil. 

According to JACQUES COLLIN DE PLANCY, “The angel 
of darkness is not hard to deal with, provided of course 
that he receives the soul as a pledge.” 


Pacts in Witchcraft and Possession 

During the Inquisition, Devil pacts became a deadly mat- 
ter. European witch hunters believed that all witches en- 
tered into a Devil's pact, pledging to serve the Devil or 
one of his satellite demons, not so much for their personal 
gain but expressly for the power to harm others. The pact 
was said to be sometimes oral but traditionally was writ- 
ten on virgin parchment and signed in BLOOD. If witches 
bewitched people into becoming possessed, their victims 
also might enter into Devil pacts. 

The first appearance of a Devil’s pact in WITCHCRAFT 
trials occurred in Toulouse, France, in 1335. The trials 
also were significant for being the first to feature the di- 
abolical SABBAT. The accused witch Catherine Delort, a 
married woman, said a shepherd with whom she had a 
tryst had forced her into a Devil’s pact. According to her 
deposition quoted by Julio Caro Baroja in The World of 
Witches: 


This loathsome ceremony took place at midnight at the 
edge of a wood at a place where two roads meet. She 
let some blood from her left arm and allowed it to flow 
on to a fire made of human bones which had been sto- 
len from the parish cemetery. She pronounced certain 
strange words which she no longer remembers and the 
Devil Berit appeared to her in the form of a violet flame. 
Since then she has made certain harmful concoctions 
and potions which cause men and beasts to die. 


After that, Delort said, she attended obscene sabbats ev- 
ery Friday night. 

Demonologists said there are two types of diabolical 
pacts: explicit and implicit. The explicit pact is a solemn 
vow of fidelity and homage made to a visible form of the 
Devil in the presence of witnesses. The implicit pact in- 
volves a written petition offered to the Devil, either in 
person or through a proxy such as a witch. 

The MALLEUS MALEFICARUM (1487), the leading in- 
quisitors’ handbook, emphasized the importance of the 
Devil’s pact in recruiting witches and coercing them to 


KV GZ 


pssst 


5 Tesi, BOSON 


-4 EANN N 
> 
Nt tO oe We” 


a, 
Lal 
A 


oe oh NO aa. SY Ni 
ENA Hi Ce ea 


Two Dominican monks are executed for signing pacts with the 
Devil. (AUTHOR’S COLLECTION) 


evil acts. Sometimes pacts were made in lewd rites at SAB- 
BATs, at which the initiates cooked and ate babies, kissed 
the anus of the Devil, signed his book in their own blood, 
copulated with him and his demons, and promised fealty 
to him. The pact required them to renounce Christianity, 
trample on the cross, and deny the Eucharist. 

The Malleus describes other ways pacts were made, 
according to tortured accused witches. One man from 
Berne said that the Devil required him to go to church 
and before Mass was said, in the presence of the priests, 
deny his faith, Christ, baptism, and the church. Then he 
pledged himself to the “Little Master,” as the Devil was 
called. He was burned at the stake. 

If pacts were not made at sabbats or in public displays, 
they were made privately. The Devil, usually in the form 
of a man dressed in black, approached a candidate with 
an offer he could not refuse. The enticements started with 
a small price, such as fealty for a certain number of years, 
but always had a catch, such as the cost of one’s soul, ac- 
cording to the Malleus. 

Sometimes, pacts were made spontaneously, accord- 
ing to witchcraft trial testimonials. The Devil, it seems, 
seldom passes up an opportunity. NICHOLAS REMY, a 
French demonologist, wrote of a case in 1587 in which 
a woman told of a demonic pact made by her mother 
and her. They were out gathering rushes one day when 
a shoemaker appeared. His belt was stained with pitch. 
The mother seemed to be expecting him, according to the 
daughter. He made the women swear allegiance to him 
and marked them on the brow with his nail. He had sex 
with the daughter and then the mother and then danced 
in a ring with them, holding hands. He gave them money 
and vanished into the air. The money crumbled to dust. 

FRANCESCO-MARIA GUAZZO, a leading Italian demon- 
ologist of the 17th century, said that people who enter 
into any pacts, explicit and implicit, share the same 11 
characteristics: 


194 pact 


1. They deny the Christian faith, withdraw allegiance 
from God, repudiate the protection of the Blessed 
Virgin Mary, and deny their BAPTISM. The Devil 
places a claw on their brow to rub off the Holy 
Chrism and destroy the mark of their baptism. 

2. They undergo a mock baptism administered by 
the Devil. 

3. They forswear their old name and are given a new 
name. 

4. The Devil forces them to deny their godfathers 
and godmothers, both of baptism and of confir- 
mation, and assigns them new ones. 

5. They give the Devil a piece of their clothing as a 
symbol of the acquired goods that now belong to 
him. 

6. They swear allegiance to the Devil within a circle 
traced upon the ground. The circle is a symbol of 
divinity, and the earth is “God’s footstool.” This 
demonstrates that the Devil is their God of heaven 
and Earth. 

7. They pray to the Devil to strike them out of the 
book of life and write their names in the book of 
death. 

8. They vow to sacrifice to him on a regular basis, 
such as offering up children they murder. 

9. They make annual gifts to their demons in order 
to avoid being beaten by them. The gifts must be 
black. 

10. The Devil brands them with his mark on some 
part of their body, especially those he suspects 
will lose their faith in him. 

11. After being marked, they make many vows. In 
return, the Devil promises to stand by them, fulfill 
all their prayers in this world, and award them 
happiness after death. The vows are 


e never to adore the Eucharist 

e to insult and revile in both word and deed 
the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints con- 
tinually 

e to abstain from making the sign of the cross 
and from using anything consecrated by the 
church, including holy water and blessed 
salt and bread 

e never to make confessions again to a priest 

e to maintain silence concerning their pact 
with the Devil 

e to participate in sabbats when they can 

e to recruit others into the service of the 
Devil 


Guazzo agreed with other demonologists that these 
elaborate pacts were empty, for the Devil never keeps his 
word. 

Inquisitors tortured accused witches to force confes- 
sions of devil’s pacts, which were important to securing 
convictions. There was no need to produce an actual doc- 
ument; an oral confession was sufficient to sentence the 


accused to death, often by burning at the stake. In two 
famous trials in 17th-century France, Devil’s pacts were 
produced, one orally and one in writing. 

In 1611, Father Louis Gaufridi was tried in the AIX-EN- 
PROVENCE POSSESSIONS involving bewitched nuns. Under 
torture he recited his pact verbally for the inquisitors: 


I, Louis Gaufridi, renounce all good, both spiritual as 
well as temporal, which may be bestowed upon me by 
God, the Blessed Virgin Mary, all the Saints of Heaven, 
particularly my Patron St. John-Baptist, as also S. Peter, 
S. Paul, and S. Francis, and I give myself body and soul 
to Lucifer, before whom I stand, together with every 
good that I may ever possess (save always the benefits of 
the sacraments touching those who receive them). And 
according to the tenor of these terms have I signed and 
sealed. 


One of Gaufridi’s victims was a woman named Mad- 
eleine de la Palud, who also confessed orally to making a 
Devil's pact: 


With all my heart and most unfeignedly and with all 
my will most deliberately do I wholly renounce God, 
Father, Son and Holy Ghost; the most Holy Mother of 
God; all the Angels and especially my Guardian Angel, 
the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, His Precious Blood 
and the merits thereof, my lot in Paradise, also the good 
inspirations which God may give me in the future, all 
the prayers which are made or may be made for me. 


Father Gaufridi was convicted and burned alive at the 
stake. Sister Madeleine was convicted and banished from 
the parish. 

In 1633, Father URBAIN GRANDIER, a parish priest of 
St.-Pierre-du-Marche in Loudun, France, in 1633, was 
brought to trial in the LOUDUN POSSESSIONS, also involv- 
ing bewitched nuns. A written pact was introduced as 
evidence. It was written backward in Latin and signed in 
blood. It read: 


We, the all-powerful Lucifer, seconded by Stana, Beelze- 
bub, Leviathan, Elimi, Astaroth, and others, have today 
accepted the pact of alliance with Urbain Grandier, who 
is on our side. And we promise him the love of women, 
the flower of virgins, the chastity of nuns, worldly hon- 
ors, pleasures, and riches. He will fornicate every three 
days; intoxication will be dear to him. He will offer to 
us once a year a tribute marked with his blood; he will 
trample under foot the sacraments of the church, and he 
will say his prayers to us. By virtue of this pact, he will 
live happily for twenty years on earth among men, and 
finally will come among us to curse God. Done in hell, 
in the council of the devils. 

(Signed by) Satan, Beelzebub, Lucifer, Elimi, Levia- 
than, Astaroth. 

“Notarized the signature and mark of the chief devil, 
and my lords the princes of hell. 

(Countersigned by) Baalberith, recorder. 


Grandier was convicted and burned alive at the stake. 


pact 195 


In England in the mid-17th century, the famous “witch 
finder” Matthew Hopkins tortured many accused witches 
into confessing Devil pacts. 

JOHANN WEYER, an influential physician and writer 
on demons and witchcraft in the 16th century, acknowl- 
edged in his work De praestigiis daemonum (On the IIlu- 
sions of Demons) that there were witches who made pacts 
with Satan but said that Satan, not the witches, caused 
harm. If such a witch killed cattle, she did so by poison, 
not by supernatural means. He acknowledged that there 
were sorcerers who entered into demonic pacts for their 
own personal gain, but they were not the same as those 
who were being persecuted by the church. He argued for 
forgiving accused witches if they renounced Satan and 
repented. 

As for the pacts themselves, Weyer said they were “il- 
lusory,” a fabrication of mind that had “no weight.” Le- 
gally, there could be no contract between a human and 
a demon, he said: “The deception occurs when an appa- 
rition of Satan’s choice is cunningly imposed upon the 
optic or visual nerves by the disturbing of the appropriate 
humors and spirits, or when whistling, or whispering, or 
murmuring, corresponding in form to the corrupt im- 
age, is aroused in the organs of hearing by the evil spirit’s 
art. . . . Satan needs the help of no second creature in dis- 
playing his power and declaring his actions, he who is 
constrained by the will or command of none but God and 
God’s good ministers.” 

Weyer was one of the first authoritative voices to speak 
out against the witch hysteria and Devil pacts. 


Pacts in Satanism 

In some practices of modern SATANISM, followers pledge 
to serve Satan, a form of pact. The Church of Satan holds 
that a formal pact is not necessary to become a satanist. 
The church founder, Anton Szandor LaVey, states in The 
Satanic Bible (1969) that the Devil’s pact was a threat “de- 
vised by Christianity to terrorize people so they would 
not stray from the fold.” 


Pacts in Magic 

Magical GRIMOIRES give instructions for making pacts 
with demons for procuring favors. There are two types of 
pacts: a unilateral pact, in which a demon agrees to serve 
without condition, and a bilateral pact, in which a demon 
agrees to conditional service, on penalty of forfeiture of 
one’s body and soul. According to grimoires, some spirits 
bind easily and some do not; the latter are dangerous and 
not to be trusted. 

The most important grimoire, the Key of Solomon, men- 
tions “penal bonds” and “pacts” only in connection with 
magic for love and favors. It states that pentacles—magi- 
cal inscriptions of words and symbols—are sufficient to 
protect the magician from demons. 

The Grand Grimoire states that if the magician cannot 
master a magic circle and a blasting rod, a magical wand 
feared by every demon, then a pact is an absolute neces- 


sity. Even with those two instruments of magic, a pact 
is advisable. A pact cannot be made directly with major 
demons such as LUCIFER, BEELZEBUB, and ASTAROTH, but 
only with one of their lieutenants. The grimoire provides 
a lengthy pact for commanding LUCIFUGE ROFOCALE, the 
prime minister of Lucifer. 

One magical formula for conjuring the Devil for a pact 
calls for sacrificing a cock at the center of a CROSSROADS 
and letting its blood drip into the center while reciting a 
spell. The Devil will appear and offer a pact to be signed 
in the blood of the magician. 

Another formula calls for composing a pact and sign- 
ing it in one’s own blood. The pact must be written on 
virgin parchment, which is made from the first calf borne 
by a cow, while standing or sitting in a magic circle. The 
pact should read, “I promise GREAT DEMON to repay him 
in seven years for all he shall give me. In witness thereof, 
I sign my name.” 

The pact is held while the following incantation in 
recited: 


LUCIFER, Emperor, Master of All Rebellious Spirits, I 
beseech thee to be favorable to me in calling upon thy 
GREAT MINISTER which I make, desiring to make a pact 
with him. 


BEELZEBUB, Prince, I pray thee also, to protect me in my 
undertaking. 


ASTAROTH, Count, be propitious to me and cause that 
this night the GREAT DEMON appear to me in human 
form and without any evil smell, and that he grant me, 
by means of the pact which I shall deliver to him, all the 
treasures of which I have need. 


GREAT DEMON, I beseech thee, leave thy dwelling, in what- 
ever part of the world you may be, to come speak with 
me; if not, I shall thereto compel thee by the power of the 
mighty words of the Great Key of Solomon, whereof he 
made use to force the rebellious spirits to accept his pact. 

Appear then instantly or I shall continually tor- 
ment thee with the mighty words of the Key: AGLON, 
TETRAGRAMMATON, VAYCHEON, STIMULAMATHON, 
EROHARES, RETRASAMMATHON, CLYORAN, ICION, 
ESITION, EXISTIEN, ERYONA, ONERA, ERASYN, MOYN, 
MEFFIAS, SOTER, EMMANUEL, SABAOTH, ADONAI. I 
call you. AMEN. 


Breaking Pacts 

Pacts with the Devil are not necessarily irrevocable, and 
redemption is always possible. In moral tales, appeals 
are made to the Virgin Mary or Jesus, who intercede. (In 
some versions of the Faust legend, however, there is no 
salvation once the pact is made). 

St. Alphonso Maria de Liguori, who founded the Re- 
demptorist order in the 18th century, gave advice for 
breaking demonic pacts. He said that one must renounce 
and abjure the pact, burn it if in writing, or declare it to 
be rejected; destroy all CHARMs, talismans, and writings 


196 Padiel 


connected with black magic; and make whatever restitu- 
tion is possible. 

According to modern demonologists, humans always 
have free will to revoke a diabolic pact. Repenting will 
render a pact useless. 

See HAIZMANN, CHRISTOPHER. 


FURTHER READING: 

Baroja, Julio Caro. The World of the Witches. Chicago: Uni- 
versity of Chicago Press, 1975. 

Butler, E. M. Ritual Magic. Cambridge: Cambridge University 
Press, 1949. 

Fortea, Fr. José Antonio. Interview with an Exorcist: An Insid- 
ers Look at the Devil, Diabolic Possession, and the Path to 
Deliverance. West Chester, Pa.: Ascension Press, 2006. 

Guazzo, Francesco-Maria. Compendium Maleficarum. Secau- 
cus, N.J.: University Books, 1974. 

LaVey, Anton Szandor. The Satanic Bible. New York: Avon 
Books, 1969. 

Lea, Henry Charles. Materials toward a History of Witchcraft. 
Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1939. 

The Malleus Maleficarum of Heinrich Kramer and James 
Sprenger. New York: Dover Publications, 1971. 

Remy, Nicholas. Demonolatry. Secaucus, N.J.: University 
Books, 1974. 

Russell, Jeffrey Burton. Lucifer: The Devil in the Middle Ages. 
Ithaca, N.Y., and London: Cornell University Press, 1984. 

Summers, Montague. The History of Witchcraft and Demonol- 
ogy. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, 1926. 

Waite, Arthur Edward. The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts. 
1899. Reprint, York Beach, Me.: Samuel Weiser, 1972. 
Weyer, Johann. On Witchcraft (De praestigiis daemonum). 
Abridged. Edited by Benjamin G. Kohl and H. C. Erik 

Midelfort. Asheville, N.C.: Pegasus Press, 1998. 


Padiel DEMON among the 31 AERIAL SPIRITS OF SOLO- 
MON. Padiel is the second-ranking spirit of the east and 
rules the south as king. He governs 10,000 spirits by day 
and 20,000 by night, and several thousand more in addi- 
tion. The lower spirits can be trusted. According to Solo- 
mon, the only powers they have are those conferred upon 
them by Padiel. They can be conjured only with Padiel’s 
permission. 


Paimon FALLEN ANGEL and ninth of the 72 SPIRITS OF 
SOLOMON. Prior to his fall, Paimon was in the angelic 
order of dominations. He was conceited with his own 
knowledge and fell with LUCIFER. In HELL, he rules as a 
king and has 200 LEGIONs of DEMONs under his command. 
He appears as a crowned man seated on a camel, pre- 
ceded by many musicians with trumpets, cymbals, and 
other instruments. He has a roaring voice. He teaches all 
arts, sciences, and secrets; subjugates people to the will of 
the magician; and gives good FAMILIARs. He will give the 
answer to any question. He is observed in the northwest. 


Pairikas In Persian lore and ZOROASTRIANISM, a class of 
DAEVA or DEMON of beautiful seductresses who have the 


power to bewitch in malevolent ways. The Pairikas exert 
their baleful influences on the elements, cattle, and all 
vegetation. AHRIMAN uses them to bewitch the stars in 
order to prevent rain and cause bad harvests, famine, 
and sterility. They also cause meteor showers. 


palis In Arabian lore, a desert DEMON that vampirizes 
people by licking the soles of their feet until their BLOOD 
is drained. There is no known description of the palis. 
The palis waits until desert travelers are asleep and then 
licks their feet. To prevent attack, travelers should sleep 
with the soles of their feet touching the soles of another 
person’s feet. Salt sprinkled around will repel the demon. 


Pamersiel DEMON among the 31 AERIAL SPIRITS OF SOLO- 
MON. Pamersiel is the chief of the east and serves under 
CARNESIEL. He has 1,000 spirits under his command, 
which must be called only during the daytime and with 
great care, for they are stubborn and arrogant. Pamersiel’s 
primary dukes are Anoyr, Madriel, Ebra, Sotheano, 
Abrulges, Ormenu, Itules, Rablion, Hamorphiel, Itrasbiel, 
and Nadrel. Pamersiel and his dukes are evil and false, and 
not to be trusted. However, they can be commanded to 
drive away other evil spirits who haunt any place or house. 
The Lemegeton, a GRIMOIRE, gives instructions for sum- 
moning Pamersiel and his dukes. The ritual must be done 
in the most secret room of a house, or a hidden grove, 
wood, or occult place. Other persons must not be able to 
observe the ritual. The place should be airy. The spirits 
can be summoned into a stone or glass and bound into the 
objects. A crystal stone must measure four inches in di- 
ameter and be set ona table consecrated to King Solomon. 
The SEAL of Pamersiel must be worn upon the breast. 


Seal of Pamersiel (AUTHOR’S COLLECTION) 


planoi 197 


Pazuzu_ Assyrian and Babylonian DEMON god of the 
first millennium B.C.E., who sends diseases, pestilence, 
and plagues into households. Pazuzu has the feet of an 
eagle, the paws of a lion, the head of a dog, the tail of a 
scorpion, bulging eyes, and four wings. 

Pazuzu rules the hot desert winds of Arabia that 
wither and kill and is sometimes called upon to provide 
protection against airborne diseases. Figures of the head 
of Pazuzu were placed in windows facing outward to 
ward off his own effects. 

Pazuzu vanquished the childbirth demon LAMASTU to 
the underworld. AMULETs of his head were worn around 
the necks of pregnant women. 

In William Peter Blatty’s novel THE EXORCIST, Pazuzu 
plays a role as a reawakened demon who possesses a girl, 
Regan. 


FURTHER READING: 

Black, Jeremy, and Anthony Green. Gods, Demons and Sym- 
bols of Ancient Mesopotamia. London: British Museum 
Press, 1992. 


Pearce-Higgins, Canon John D. Anglican clergyman 
and spiritualist known for his “depossession” work. 
Canon John D. Pearce-Higgins was former vice provost 
of Southwark Cathedral in London, and one of the found- 
ers of the Anglican Church’s Fellowship for Psychical 
and Spiritual Studies. He chaired its Psychic Phenomena 
Committee. He was knowledgeable about psychology and 
took care to rule out psychiatric disorders in cases that 
seemed to involve spirit interference. 

Pearce-Higgins preferred not to use the term EXORCIST. 
He said his religious service has no relation to the ideas 
of binding and adjuring present in other Christian ex- 
orcisms. He did not damn the entity to eternal hellfire, 
believing the discarnate needs as much counseling and 
help as the victim. In Pearce-Higgins’ view, even the most 
intractable spirits may someday repent. 

As did DR. CARL A. WICKLAND, Pearce-Higgins per- 
suaded rather than forced possessing entities to leave their 
living victims and enter the next realm of consciousness. 
He disagreed with the orthodox Christian notion of evil 
spirits and possessing DEMONS, stating that if the DEVIL 
and his minions really tormented the living, then dual- 
ism, not monotheism, exists. The concept of Christian 
demonic EXORCISM—to bind and place the Devil under 
oath by the power of God, sending it to everlasting dam- 
nation—does not take into account the idea that some 
people die but do not realize it. Pearce-Higgins preferred 
to think that even the Devil is a FALLEN ANGEL, who, along 
with human sinners, may be redeemed. In his view, the 
possessing spirit needs as much help as the victim. 

Many cases of possession are caused by souls confused 
by the transition to the afterlife and thus earthbound, he 
said. He argued for a more serious attitude toward spirit 
POSSESSION and a gentle guiding of both the possessed and 
the possessing spirit into better understanding of death 


and afterlife. He believed that there are more haunted 
people and haunted places than anyone realizes, because 
of these earthbound souls. 

Pearce-Higgins wrote a ritual to release earthbound 
souls and send them to heaven, or the White Light. He 
called the process “soothing” rather than exorcising. 

He “soothed” or depossessed both people and places, 
using the services of mediums. His ritual, a combination 
of Anglican liturgy and special prayers, has been distrib- 
uted worldwide to those in need. 


Phoenix (Phenix, Pheynix) FALLEN ANGEL and the 37th 
of the 72 SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. Phoenix reigns as a mar- 
quis in HELL with 20 LEGIONs of DEMONs. He appears as a 
phoenix bird and sings sweetly in a child’s voice. It is 
really a siren’s voice, and so the magician must take pre- 
cautions not to be seduced by it. Upon command, Phoe- 
nix will assume a human shape and then speak on all 
the sciences and deliver excellent poetry. He fulfills all 
commands well. Phoenix has the futile hope that he will 
return to the seventh throne in 1,200 years. He formerly 
was in the angelic order of thrones. 


Pirichiel DEMON and a wandering duke of the air. 
Pirichiel has no dukes or princes under his command, 
but he has dukes beneath him, each with 2,000 servants. 
The spirits must be summoned at the right planetary 
hour, and when they appear, they are good-natured and 
obedient. The eight chief knights are Damarsiell, Cardiel, 
Almasor, Nemariel, Menariel, Demediel, Hursiel, and 
Cuprisiel. 


Pithom In Jewish lore, a SERPENT DEMON summoned 
for prophecy. Pithom is mentioned in the Talmud. The 
demon is human in form, with his head resting on his 
breast between his shoulders. He utters oracular pro- 
nouncements from his armpits or with his hands raised 
and his head lying between his armpits. 


planoi In Greek lore, a type of DEMON that assaults 
travelers and taunts them. Planos (singular) means “vag- 
abond” or “deceiver.” 

According to JOHN CASSIAN, a father of the church in 
the fourth century, most planoi are tricksters, but some 
attempt greater harm, including the incitement of blood- 
shed. In his work Conferences, Cassian described the pla- 
noi as 


... SO seductive and sportive that, when they have taken 
continual possession of certain places or roads, they 
delight themselves not indeed with tormenting the pass- 
ers by whom they can deceive, but, contenting them- 
selves merely with laughing at them and mocking them, 
try to tire them out rather than to injure them: while 
some spend the night merely by harmlessly taking pos- 
session of men, though others are such slaves to fury and 
ferocity that they are not simply content with hurting the 


198 possessed possessions 


bodies of those, of whom they have taken possession, by 
tearing them in a dreadful manner, but actually are eager 
to rush upon those who are passing by at a distance, and 
to attack them with most savage slaughter: like those 
described in the gospel, for fear of whom no man dared 
to pass by that way. And there is no doubt that these and 
such as these in their insatiable fury delight in wars and 
bloodshed. 


FURTHER READING: 

Cassian, John. “Conference 7.” In The Conferences of John 
Cassian. Translated and notes by Edgar C. S. Gibson. 
Available online. URL: http://www.osb.org/lectio/cassian/ 
conf/book1/conf7.html#7.0._ Downloaded February 3, 
2008. 


possessed possessions Objects attached by spirits. 
Any object can become possessed by a spirit, which may 
cause disturbances in an environment. The term pos- 
sessed possessions was coined by Ed Okonowicz, a Dela- 
ware paranormal researcher. 

Objects can become possessed through a CURSE, magi- 
cal spell, or use in magical rituals. Some objects seem to 
take on personalities of previous owners. In lore, objects 
can be used to imprison entities, such as King SOLOMON 
did when he imprisoned the DJINN in vessels and rings. 

Possessed objects can remain dormant and then be- 
come activated if brought into the right environment by 
the right person. Problems include poltergeist distur- 
bances; apparitions and dark, shadowy figures; demonic 
INFESTATION; nightmares; illness; and so on. 

Remedies include spiritual cleansing of the object and 
premises, EXORCISM, or removal or destruction of the ob- 
ject. Usually the paranormal problems stop after remedial 
measures are taken. 


FURTHER READING: 

Okonowicz, Ed. Possessed Possessions: Haunted Antiques, Fur- 
niture and Collectibles. Elkton, Md.: Myst and Lace Pub- 
lishers, 1996. 

Okonowicz, Ed. Possessed Possessions 2. Elkton, Md.: Myst 
and Lace Publishers, 1998. 


possession The takeover and control of a person’s 
mind and body by a DEMON, condemned soul, ghost, 
spirit, or deity. There are different forms of possession; 
most are not demonic. While possession is a universal 
and ancient belief, the approaches to it differ widely. In 
Christianity, possession is associated with malevolent 
spirits under the direction of the DEVIL that threaten not 
only a person's health and life but his or her afterlife as 
well. 

Since ancient times, there have been beliefs that gods 
and other spirits interfere in human affairs on a daily ba- 
sis. The spirits may possess a person’s mind and/or body 
and cause him or her to carry out certain acts for the pos- 
sessing entity's own purpose. While possession usually 


is regarded as undesirable, some traditions hold that it 
shows the favor of the gods. Mediums, channelers, and 
trance prophets undergo a type of temporary and volun- 
tary possession, in which they become a vehicle for dis- 
carnate entities to communicate through them. Another 
type of voluntary possession is spirit, such as the Holy 
Spirit or Holy Ghost experienced as a religious altered 
state of consciousness. 

Anything might be blamed on or credited to a possess- 
ing entity. Most possessions are temporary and end when 
the goal of the possessing entity is accomplished, but 
sometimes the entities present an ongoing problem that 
requires stronger measures. If possession creates prob- 
lems, remedies of EXORCISM, the expulsion or banishing 
of the entity, are sought from a trained practitioner, such 
as a priest, magician, or other expert. Some forms of pos- 
session are more psychiatric in nature, causing mental 
disturbances and personality changes. 


Demonic Possession 

In demonic possession, a demon takes up residence in 
a person’s body and influences or controls his or her 
thoughts, words, and actions. A possessed person can 
seem normal for periods of time and then exhibit bizarre, 
uncontrolled behavior attributed to the demon. Dur- 
ing the demonic episodes, the victim is entranced, and, 
when they end, there is a transition period of a return to 
normalcy. 

Possessed persons usually are under the influence of 
more than one demon. Unless they are exorcised, the de- 
mons cause extreme deterioration of health to the point 
of death, sometimes by suicide. 

According to Catholic theology, demons cannot pos- 
sess a person’s soul, but they can influence a person to 
take actions that jeopardize his or her status in the after- 
life, so that the soul goes to HELL. Souls of the damned 
already in hell are capable of possessing a living person 
in much the same way as demons. 


Christian History of Demonic Possession 

There are few references to evil spirits in the Old Testa- 
ment. In each case, the evil spirit was sent by God to pun- 
ish and torment people. 1 Samuel 16:14—16 describes how 
an indwelling evil spirit was sent by the Lord tormented 
Saul, who was relieved when David played his harp: 


Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and 
an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him. 

Saul’s attendants said to him, “See, an evil spirit from 
God is tormenting you. Let our lord command his ser- 
vants here to search for someone who can play the harp. 
He will play when the evil spirit from God comes upon 
you, and you will feel better.” 


Demons and possession play a more prominent role in 
the New Testament. The Gospels and Acts tell how JESUS 
healed by casting out “unclean spirits,” a customary prac- 
tice for healers at the time. Demons were believed to cause 


possession 199 


Asmodeus one of the principal demons in many cases of 
possession (AUTHOR’S COLLECTION) 


illness as well as their own torments. One who consulted 
Jesus was a deranged man who was possessed by demons 
who identified themselves as LEGION, after the unit of Ro- 
man soldiers numbering 6,000. Seeing that their posses- 
sion of the man was at an end, the demons begged Jesus 
to send them into a nearby herd of swine, and he did. The 
pigs went berserk and plunged over a cliff to their deaths, 
taking the demons with them (Luke 8:30). 

In no case in Scripture was a possessed person con- 
sidered responsible for his or her condition on account of 
sin. As with Legion, most of the cases cited involve prob- 
lems and illnesses caused by the possessing spirits. Luke 
9:38-43 describes a case of apparent epilepsy in a boy 
who experiences convulsions believed to be caused by a 
demon. Luke 11:14 describes a person who is rendered 
mute because of a demon: 


Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the 
demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the 
crowd was amazed. But some of them said, “By Beelze- 
bub, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.” 


Luke 13:10-13 tells of a woman who was crippled for 
18 years by a demon: 


On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the syna- 
gogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled 
by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and 
could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he 
called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set 
free from your infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, 
and immediately she straightened up and praised God. 


Faith makes a woman worthy of having her demon- 
possessed daughter exorcised in Matthew 15:21-28: 


Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre 
and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came 
to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on 
me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-pos- 
session.” 

Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to 
him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying 
out after us.” 

He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of 
Israel.” 

The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help 
me!” she said. 

He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread 
and toss it to their dogs.” 

“Yes, Lord,” she said, “but even the dogs eat the 
crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 

Then Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith! 
Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed 
from that very hour. 


By the end of the New Testament period, demons 
were equated with the wicked FALLEN ANGELS cast out of 
heaven with LUCIFER. Early Christian theologians consid- 
ered possession to be orchestrated by the Devil and car- 
ried out by the demons who served him. Demons plagued 
the holy, such as saints, and fooled the innocent. 

In the Middle Ages, demonic possession became a ma- 
jor concern of the church. Anyone found showing signs of 
unusual behavior or change in personality was assumed 
to be possessed by the Devil. During the Inquisition, pos- 
session became a heresy—a reason to be arrested, tried, 
and, if found guilty, executed. Theologians said that the 
Devil worked through the agency of witches; the practice 
of WITCHCRAFT also became a heresy. Witches were ac- 
cused of using black MAGIC or animal FAMILIARs to send 
demons into people. Demons also preyed upon the weak- 
nesses of people—their lust, greed, anger, and so forth— 
to find an entry point for possession. 

Even eating certain foods, such as APPLEs, could result 
in possession, for demons rode along into the body on the 
food. The apple was considered a favorite demonic vehicle 
because it was the fruit involved in the fall of Adam and 
Eve. In 1585, the townspeople of Annecy, Savoy, France, 
became alarmed over an apple that gave out a “great and 
confused noise.” Believing it to be full of demons, they 
pushed the apple into a river. 

In 1614, the Catholic Church issued the RITUALE Ro- 
MANUM to standardize procedures. Part of the Rituale Ro- 
manum was especially intended for demonic possession, 
an all-out spiritual battle between the forces of good and 
evil. Revisions have been made to the text since then, and 
it continues in modern use. Only a priest, preferably one 
who is trained in exorcism, can perform it. The Protestant 
Reformation rejected the idea of demonic possession, al- 
though in the 16th and 17th centuries, there were famous 


200 possession 


possession cases, many in France, which served as exor- 
cism power contests between Catholics and Protestants 
to sway the faithful and win converts. 

Demonic possession cases continue in present times. 
Church attention to possession cases dropped in the 20th 
century. In the 1970s, public attention was renewed by 
William Peter Blatty’s novel and film The Exorcist, based on 
a real case in 1949 (see ST. LOUIS EXORCISM CASE). The num- 
bers of reported possession cases began to rise. A sharp 
increase was seen at the turn of the 21st century, perhaps 
in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade 
Center in New York City, and rising global fears over ter- 
rorism and war. The church increased the training of exor- 
cists (see INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EXORCISTS). 

Catholic clergy dealt with most cases, but some Prot- 
estant and evangelical ministers perform varying types of 
exorcism. Lay demonologists also investigate cases and 
work with clergy in exorcisms, usually as assistants or 
witnesses. 


Causes of Demonic Possession 
According to the Catholic Church, the chief causes of 
possession are the following: 


e making a PACT with the Devil or demons 

e participating in occult or spiritualist rites, including 
playing with divination devices such as a OUJA™ or 
doing automatic writing 

e offering or dedicating a child to SATAN 

e being the victim of a witchcraft spell or CURSE 


Engaging in these activities, as well as leading a deliber- 
ately sinful life, give demons the right and license to take 
up residence, according to the church. 

Mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and multiple 
personality disorder are not considered to be caused by 
demonic possession. 

The church teaches that God allows possession to 
happen for a variety of reasons: 


e to demonstrate the truth of the Catholic faith 
e to punish sinners 

e to confer spiritual benefits through lessons 

* to produce teachings for humanity 


Signs of Demonic Possession 
The Catholic Church defines the true signs of possession 
as 


e displaying superhuman strength and levitation, often 
accompanied by fits, convulsions, and contortions 

e having knowledge of the future or other secret 
information 

e being able to understand and converse in languages 
previously unknown to the victim 

e exhibiting revulsion toward sacred objects or texts 


Exorcists develop discernment that enables them to 
determine whether or not a person is truly possessed, 


rather than suffering from mental illness or stress. A DE- 
MONIAC’s eyes will be rolled back into his head and his 
or her voice will be altered to an evil, mocking tone. The 
person will scream insults, profanities, and blasphemies 
at the exorcists and witnesses. 

How a possessed person behaves depends on the type of 
demon involved, and the exorcist’s skill at recognizing the 
signs. There are three types of possessing demons, clausus 
(Latin for shut), apertus (Latin for open), and abditus (Latin 
for hidden). If a demon is clausus, it can resist prayer for a 
short time before eventually revealing its presence in an 
entranced condition and rolled-back eyes. The possessed 
person does not move or speak out but is still possessed. 

Ifa demon is apertus, it will keep the possessed person's 
eyes open and will laugh at and mock the exorcist, claim- 
ing that the person's condition is only psychological. 

An abditus demon is capable of hiding deep within a 
person's interior and can show no signs for hours in an 
exorcism. 

In all cases, a possessed person will not recall his or 
her behavior during possessed episodes. 


Stages of Demonic Possession 
Demonic possession can progress through stages: 


e INFESTATION, the actual entry point, when the 
demon first enters the victim and begins to exert an 
influence in the environment, such as unpleasant 
phenomena. 

e OPPRESSION or vexation, in which the victim weak- 
ens and makes unethical or immoral choices or 
serious mistakes on vital matters. As oppression 
worsens, the victim voluntarily yields control to the 
demon, even though he or she knows it is alien to 
his or her personality. 

e Full-blown demonic possession. The demon tries 
to cause the victim to commit heinous acts, such 
as murder or suicide. The victim’s appearance and 
behavior alter in radical ways. A host of unpleasant 
phenomena manifest: lewd and obscene acts and 
thoughts; cursing and swearing; screaming in rage; 
spitting, vomiting, and urinating; foul smells; horri- 
ble facial expressions; physical contortions; unusual 
strength; speaking in tongues; prophesying; ema- 
ciation through rapid weight loss; levitation; and 
so forth. If presented with holy objects or splashed 
with holy water, a victim recoils. 


Remedies for Demonic Possession 

Exorcisms can be performed at any stage, and sometimes 
the offending entity can be expelled before full possession 
is reached. Some cases require repeated exorcisms and 
last for years before a person is liberated. In addition to the 
exorcism rites, the possessed person and his family must 
pray and make an effort to regain a spiritual life. Once 
demons are expelled, they stay out, but they can return if 
invited back through a relapse of sin and behavior. 


possession 201 


Dangers of Demonic Possession 

Severely possessed people are in danger of dying (see 
MICHEL, ANNELIESE). According to the church, if they 
die before their demons are expelled, they are not neces- 
sarily condemned to hell. If they die in a state of grace, 
they will go to heaven. Once a victim is dead, the de- 
mons depart. 

Those present at an exorcism—the exorcists, assis- 
tants, and witnesses—are in danger of suffering posses- 
sion from departing demons, who may seize an opportu- 
nity to occupy a new host. At the very least, the demon, 
speaking through the victim, may hurl their secret fears 
and vices in their faces. Exorcists and demonologists also 
can suffer mishaps, such as strange accidents, while they 
are working on cases. Good health and a virtuous life are 
important defenses in dealing with possession cases. 

Nonetheless, some untrained paranormal investiga- 
tors, attracted by the danger, have involved themselves 
in the field, thus opening themselves and their families 
to unpleasant problems. Exorcists stress that amateurs 
should not meddle in possession. 


Possession of Animals 

In the Catholic tradition, animals have the potential to 
become possessed, but reported cases are not common. 
The best biblical example is that of Jesus driving demons 
out of aman and into a herd of swine, which then commit 
suicide by drowning themselves in the sea (Mark 5:1-13). 
Animals that become possessed by demons act strangely 
and may exhibit self-destructive behavior, such as run- 
ning in front of vehicles. If a possessed animal dies or is 
sacrificed, the demon departs. 


Possession by Djinn 

According to Islam, there are two principal causes of pos- 
session by DJINN, and both are forbidden by Allah. The 
djinn can possess a person out of lewdness, desire, love, 
capriciousness, trickster horseplay, and whim. It will 
attack the weak, vulnerable, and insane; “under Satan’s 
touch” describes madness. Sometimes possession of this 
sort is permitted by the victim, but it is still forbidden. 
Without permission, the possession becomes a grave of- 
fense of oppression, and the djinn must be rebuked and 
informed that it has broken the laws of Allah. 

In the second case, djinn may possess a person out of 
revenge, if they feel they have been wronged or injured. 
Humans may inadvertently urinate on them, pour water 
on them, or kill them, causing the djinn to react by punish- 
ing the humans. In that case, the djinn should be informed 
that the harm was accidental, and the djinn are not permit- 
ted to occupy the person’s home, property, or body. 

In possession, djinn can make people speak in unin- 
telligible languages, have supernormal strength, and run 
unnaturally fast. The djinn will rain blows upon people 
and make them have fits. 

Minor djinn called ZAR possess women and cause sick- 
ness, marital discord, and rebelliousness. 


Other Demonic Possession outside of Christianity 
Beliefs in the ability of negative, interfering spirits to 
possess people are universal. Views on possessing de- 
mons and their purposes vary, as do remedies against 
them. In Hinduism, possession permeates every facet of 
daily life. The victim is most often a woman, who at- 
tributes her personal problems—menstrual pain, bar- 
renness, the death of children, miscarriage, abuse by 
husbands or fathers, the husband’s infidelities—to the 
intervention of evil spirits. Exorcism techniques include 
blowing cow-dung smoke, pressing rock salt between the 
fingers, burning pig excreta, beating the victim herself 
or pulling her hair, using copper coins as an offering, 
reciting prayers or mantras, and offering gifts of candy 
or other presents. 

In Japanese tradition, fox fairies cause similar nega- 
tive conditions (see HULI JING; KITSUNE). The spirits com- 
municate their requirements for departure, usually offer- 
ings of special foods. 

Elsewhere, negative spirits and even mischievous dei- 
ties are held responsible for all bad things that happen. 
Sometimes, the possessed victims gain social status by 
becoming possessed, which entitles them to privileges, 
attention, and gifts. 


Possession by the Holy Ghost 

Voluntary possession by the divine presence is accepted 
in traditions of Christianity. The word enthusiastic origi- 
nally meant being filled with the Holy Ghost or Holy 
Spirit, or the supreme state of oneness with God. 

After the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus, on the 
first day of Pentecost (the date seven weeks after Passover, 
in the Jewish calendar), the apostles became possessed 
with the Holy Ghost. Acts describes how flames appeared 
above their heads and they spoke in tongues previously 
unknown to them. Speaking in unknown tongues, called 
glossolalia, and other ecstatic communion with God char- 
acterized early Christian worship but by the Middle Ages 
had come to signify the work of the Devil instead. 

In modern Christianity, the Pentecostal movement 
has revived interest in ecstatic religious practices. The 
movement began on January 1, 1901, when a group of 
worshippers at Bethel College, Topeka, Kansas, report- 
edly received the Holy Spirit. Members of Pentecostal 
churches may speak in tongues, engage in long prayer re- 
vivals, perform faith healing, and even roll and writhe on 
the floor as the spirit fills them. 

Such voluntary and temporary possessions are a “re- 
ligious altered state of consciousness.” Their phenomena 
are similar to cases of demonic possession, in which the 
possessed person exhibits rigidity of limbs, speaking in 
foreign languages or tongues, dilation of pupils, visions, 
insomnia, fasting, self-infliction of pain, sensations of a 
burning death, and catatonia. These states of conscious- 
ness can have 40-day cycles, imitating the 40-day with- 
drawal of Jesus into the desert. 


202 possession 


Voluntary Spirit Possession 

In some non-Western cultures, including shamanic tradi- 
tions, voluntary possession as a means to communicate 
with spirits and deities serves as the centerpiece of re- 
ligious worship and is used to obtain beneficial help in 
solving problems, divining the future, curing illness, and 
restoring happiness and harmony in life. Possession by a 
god shows the possessed to be worthy of the god’s notice 
and protection. 

In the Caribbean and South America and lands 
where tribal Africans were taken to be slaves, worship 
of the religions of their ancestors—now practiced as 
Vodun, Santeria, candomblé, or Umbanda—involves 
the possession of the faithful by the gods to obtain true 
communion and protection. Black slaves transported to 
Brazil by the Portuguese in the 1550s found their tribal 
religion had much in common with the spiritual prac- 
tices of Indian tribes along the Amazon River. Forced to 
syncretize the worship of the gods, or orishas, into the 
veneration of Catholic saints to escape persecution, the 
blacks continued to follow the old ways and rituals in 
secret. By the time the slaves won their independence 
in 1888, more than 15 generations of Brazilians—black, 
white and Indian—had heard the stories of the orishas 
and how their magical intervention had snared a lover, 
saved a marriage or a sick baby, or eliminated a wicked 
enemy. 

Worshippers, entranced by rites of chanting and 
drumming, are temporarily possessed or “mounted” by 
a god or spirit, becoming the entity’s “horse.” They take 
on that spirit’s personal characteristics, such as facial 
expressions, body postures and gestures, preferences for 
certain foods or colors, perfumes, patterns of speech, use 
of profanity, smoking, and so forth. 

Under possession, the worshipper may endure great 
extremes of heat and cold, dance unceasingly for hours, 
suffer from cuts and bruises with no pain, and even tear 
off the heads of live chickens used for sacrifice with his 
or her own teeth. Often the possessed issue prophesies 
and deliver pronouncements about local affairs. The wor- 
shipper becomes the deity and is accorded all appropriate 
rights and honors. Once possession subsides, the special 
treatment ends and the worshipper resumes his or her 
ordinary life. 


Candomblé Candomblé closely resembles the ancient Yo- 
ruban practices from Africa. The term candomblé probably 
derives from candombe, a celebration and dance held by 
the slaves on the coffee plantations. The first candomblé 
center was organized in 1830 in Salvador, the old capital 
city of Brazil and now the capital of the state of Bahia, 
by three former slaves who became the cult’s high priest- 
esses. The slave women inherited the formerly all-male 
ceremonial duties when the men spent their time in slave 
field labor. Also serving as mistresses to the white Por- 
tuguese, the women claimed the exercise of their magi- 


cal rites helped maintain their sexual skill and prowess. 
These “Mothers of the Saints” trained other women, called 
the “Daughters of the Saints,” ensuring that the men were 
excluded from major responsibilities. 

Candomblé ceremonies involve invocations to the 
gods, prayers, offerings, and voluntary possession. Heal- 
ing is emphasized. Devotees believe the moment of great- 
est spiritual healing occurs when a person becomes one 
with his or her orisha during initiation into the cult. Such 
possession is often intense, requiring constant aid from 
the other worshippers. The priest may beg the orisha to 
treat the initiate gently, offering a pigeon or other sacri- 
fice to the orisha in return for his or her mercy. The stron- 
ger the orisha the more violent the possession. 


Umbanda Umbanda was founded in 1904 and has its 
roots in Hinduism and Buddhism in addition to African 
tribal religions. The teachings of spiritism—that com- 
munication with discarnate spirits is not only possible 
but necessary for spiritual healing and acceptance of one’s 
earlier incarnations—also plays a large part in the prac- 
tices of umbanda. 

The term umbanda probably derives from aum-gandha, 
a Sanskrit description of the divine principle. Umbanda 
incorporates the worship of the Catholic saints with the 
beliefs of the Brazilian Indians. The orishas go by their 
Catholic names and personae. 

In addition to the orishas, possessing entities include 
the exus and pomba giras, caboclos, pretos velhos, and 
criancas. 

The exus are the spirits of the wicked and dangerous 
dead and of suicides. Their female counterparts are the 
pomba giras. Their light is diminished. They are some- 
times equated with demons by outsiders, but their nature 
is not evil and satanic, more that of a trickster. 

The caboclos are the spirits of dead Indians. They pos- 
sess good herbal knowledge, pride, and strength and are 
valued when decisiveness is needed. 

The pretos velhos are the spirits of dead Afro-Brazilian 
slaves. They have a gentle nature and are good for per- 
sonal matters and healing, especially concerning herbal 
remedies. 

The criancas are the spirits of children who died be- 
tween ages three and five. They are consulted for personal 
matters and healing. 

Quimbanda, formerly called Macumba, involves black 
magic in which lower spirits are contacted. 


Vodun Vodun entered the Caribbean islands of Jamaica 
and Saint-Domingue, now divided into the nations of the 
Dominican Republic and Haiti, with the millions of black 
African slaves, encompassing members of the Bambara, 
Foula, Arada (or Ardra), Mandingue, Fon, Nago, Iwe, Ibo, 
Yoruba, and Congo tribes. Their religious practices per- 
haps first amused white masters, but soon fearful whites 
forbade their slaves not only from practicing their religion 
but gathering in any type of congregation. Penalties were 


possession 203 


sadistic and severe, including mutilation, sexual disfig- 
urement, flaying alive, and burial alive. Any slave found 
possessing a fetish (a figurine or carved image of a god) 
was to be imprisoned, hanged, or flayed alive. 

To save the blacks from the “animal” natures that they 
were believed to have, masters baptized their slaves as 
Catholic Christians. In front of whites, blacks practiced 
Catholicism, but among each other, the gods of their an- 
cestors were not forgotten. Rites held deep in the woods, 
prayers transmitted in work songs, and worship of saints 
while secretly praying to the gods preserved the old tradi- 
tions while giving them a new twist. 

The syncretic practices that evolved featured worship 
rites in which voluntary possession was invited of the loas 
or mystéres, the old gods and ancestral spirits. The priest 
or priestess, called houngan and mambo, respectively, 
acts as intermediary to summon the loas and help them 
to depart when their business is finished. The houngan 
and mambo receive total authority from the mystères. The 
possessed lose all consciousness, totally becoming the 
possessing loas with all their desires and eccentricities. 
Young women possessed by the older spirits seem frail 
and decrepit, while the infirm possessed by young, vir- 
ile gods dance with no thought to their disabilities. Even 
facial expressions change to resemble that of the god or 
goddess. Although sacred, possession can be frightening 
and even dangerous, causing mental imbalance and dete- 
rioration of health. 


Santeria Similar in practice to Vodun, Santeria centers 
around the worship of the ancient African gods (mostly 
Yoruban) who were blended with Catholic saints. San- 
teria is derived from the Spanish word santo, or “saint”; 
practitioners are called santeros and santeras. 

The orishas who possess worshippers have complex 
human personalities, with strong desires, preferences, 
and temperaments. When possessed, the devotees assume 
the orishas’ supernatural characteristics, performing feats 
of great strength, eating and drinking huge quantities 
of food and alcohol, and divining the future with great 
accuracy. 

The santeros wield enormous power, having knowl- 
edge that can change a person's life either through their 
own skill or by the help of the orishas. To use that power 
for good or evil rests with the santeros alone. 


Voluntary Possession in Mediumship and Channeling 
During the 19th century, belief in diabolical possession 
declined in the West, while belief in spirit possession in- 
creased. Mediumship involves communicating with the 
dead and other spirits. In physical mediumship, the me- 
dium allows a form of temporary possession to take place, 
in which the spirits use the medium’s body and voice to 
communicate directly. In mental mediumship, communi- 
cation is impressed on a medium’s thoughts. 

In order for the temporary possession to take place, 
mediums enter into altered states of consciousness that 


range from dissociated states, in which they are fully 
aware of what happens, to deep trance, in which they 
have no awareness of events. Entranced mediums may 
exhibit physical symptoms similar to religious altered 
states of consciousness. Once the trance is ended, there is 
a period of transition in the return to normal awareness. 
Mediumship takes a physical and sometimes mental toll 
and can adversely affect health. 

Though mediumship is voluntary, it sometimes begins 
as involuntary episodes in which spirits take over a per- 
son. Over time, a medium learns how to control spirit 
access. There are many ways of inducing entranced states 
for mediumistic possession, including drugs, fasting, 
meditation, and prayer. 

Channeling is essentially the same as mediumship and 
is a newer term, usually applied to contact with highly 
evolved human spirits or nonhuman spirits, angels, and 
extraterrestrials, rather than the dead. 

Religious critics of both mediumship and channeling 
contend that the true identities of the possessing spirits 
are demons intent on deception and demonic possession. 
Catholics and others are counseled not to consult psy- 
chics and mediums. 


Voluntary Possession in Spiritualism and Spiritism 
Life everlasting for the spirit and the ability to contact 
such spirits through mediums, proving their survival, 
underlie spiritualism, a religious movement that began in 
the mid-19th century and swept both sides of the Atlan- 
tic. It declined in popularity in the 20th century but still 
continues today. 

A central feature of spiritualism is communication 
with the dead through mediums. One of the purposes of 
mediumship is to validate the tenets of spiritualism: be- 
lief in an immanent God as the active moving principle 
in nature, the affirmation of the essential goodness of hu- 
man beings, a denial of the need for salvation, and the 
repudiation of HELL. Rather, the dead go to Summerland, 
a place of perpetual summer where the departed spirits 
spend eternity. 

Spiritism evolved from spiritualism in the mid-19th 
century. Its chief proponent was a French writer and phy- 
sician named Hippolyte-Léon-Denizard Rivail, who knew 
Latin and Greek and wrote under the pseudonym Allan 
Kardec. 

Trained as a doctor, Kardec believed that certain ill- 
nesses have a spiritual cause and can be treated psychi- 
cally through communication with spirit guides. Spe- 
cifically, he said that persons suffering from epilepsy, 
schizophrenia, and multiple personality showed signs 
of spirit interference or possession, either from the dead 
or from remnants of the patients’ own past lives. Kardec 
theorized that within each person’s personality are what 
he called “subsystems” of past lives inherited with each 
new incarnation. Sometimes, these subsystems dominate 
the present life, blocking out reality and controlling the 


204 possession 


body for extended periods. Successful treatment depends 
not only on counseling and therapy but on communica- 
tion with these spirits to understand their presence and 
persuade them to depart the victim. 

Kardec’s theories were fashionable in France for a 
while but did not catch on in the rest of Europe. They 
found enthusiastic audiences in Brazil. 


Possession as Physical or Mental Illness 

In ancient times, demons and spirits were held to be the 
cause of diseases and illnesses, both physical and psycho- 
logical. The oldest extant text on epilepsy, On the Sacred 
Disease, attributed to the Greek physician Hippocrates 
(ca. 460-ca. 370 B.C.E.), but probably authored by several 
of his students, states that bizarre emotions, behavior, 
and sensations commonly believed to be due to demonic 
possession were instead due to a brain disease. It is likely 
that some cases of alleged demonic possession were ei- 
ther cases of epilepsy or of Tourette’s syndrome, a rare 
neurological disorder. 

According to Catholicism, the New Testament distin- 
guishes between illness and possession, in descriptions 
of Jesus both performing the casting out of unclean spir- 
its and healing the sick. However, some physicians and 
medical professionals even into modern times have pos- 
tulated demonic interference as a cause of certain health 
problems. 

Epileptic seizures are characterized by unconscious- 
ness, violent behavior, vomiting, and visual, auditory, 
and olfactory hallucinations that may seem supernatural. 
Epileptics report feeling the presence of God, angels, or 
other spirits, including the dead. They may smell terrible 
stenches resembling brimstone or rotting flesh. Tourette’s 
syndrome, often misdiagnosed as schizophrenia, starts in 
childhood and manifests with facial contortions, upward 
eye rolling, bizarre growls, barks, and grunts, and verbal 
outbursts of a sexual, blasphemous, or scatological na- 
ture—all characteristics of demonic possession. 

Schizophrenia sufferers, who also experience altered 
states of consciousness and various hallucinations, may 
project fragments of their own personality as external 
“demons” or spirits. A theory about multiple personality 
sufferers, however, holds that the repression of a great 
deal of hatred, common in the disorder, acts as a magnet 
for evil influences. Obsession always represents an abnor- 
mal condition, and once one admits the existence of spirit 
influence, the idea of spirit obsession cannot be ignored. 
Severe physical or psychological trauma may so upset the 
victim that a “window” in the mind opens, allowing spirit 
influences to enter. In many cases of multiple personality, 
some psychiatrists find that only exorcism, perhaps sim- 
ply invoking the Lord’s name, eliminates one or more of 
the troubling personalities so that the patient can eventu- 
ally become one person. 

DR. JAMES HERVEY HYSLOP, an American psychologist 
famous for his research of obsession cases, states in his 
book Contact with the Other World (1919) that if people be- 


lieve in telepathy, then invasion of a personality over dis- 
tance is possible. And if that is true, he found it unlikely 
that sane and intelligent spirits were the only ones able to 
exert influence from beyond. Hyslop also stated that per- 
sons diagnosed as suffering from hysteria, multiple per- 
sonality, dementia praecox, or other mental disturbances 
showed, in his view, unmistakable signs of invasion by 
discarnate entities. He called on medical practitioners to 
take such situations into account during treatment. 

The American psychiatrist Dr. M. Scott Peck, a gradu- 
ate of Harvard University, claims that two of his patients 
suffered from possession in addition to their other symp- 
toms of multiple personality. In both cases, Peck found 
the spirits to be evil, actively working to destroy the mind 
of the host patients. 

In People of the Lie (1983), Peck describes these pa- 
tients, their awareness from the beginning of an alien 
presence, and the exorcisms that eventually cleared the 
way for spiritual healing. When the demonic entities fi- 
nally revealed themselves, the patients’ faces were com- 
pletely transformed into masks of utter malevolence. 
One patient became a SERPENT, with writhing body, 
hooded reptilian eyes, and darting efforts to bite the 
exorcism team members. But what really overwhelmed 
Peck was not the performance but the feeling that a tre- 
mendous weight—an ageless, evil heaviness, or the true 
Serpent—was in the room. He reports that everyone 
present felt such a presence, only relieved when the ex- 
orcism succeeded. 

Peck’s experiences have corroborated those of the 
California psychiatrist Dr. Ralph Allison, trained at the 
University of California at Los Angeles School of Medi- 
cine and Stanford Medical Center. According to Allison, 
some cases of multiple personality may be the result of 
spirit possession, both nonthreatening and demonic. 
His controversial book Minds in Many Pieces (1980) 
discusses some of these patients and the inexplicable 
paranormal occurrences surrounding them. At least one 
personality in each patient—sometimes the primary but 
usually a secondary one—displayed striking psychic 
abilities. 

One case cited by Allison was that of a young man 
who began hearing a voice in his head after being struck 
on the head by a heavy object. He had convulsive sei- 
zures that could not be explained neurologically. The 
voice told him he was about to die. Under hypnosis, the 
voice identified itself as the Devil and said it had entered 
the man when he was on military duty in Japan. The 
man had rushed into a burning house to rescue someone 
and was blown out by an explosion. The Devil entered 
him at that time and was the cause of all his physical 
and mental problems. Allison consulted a religious ex- 
pert, who opined that the spirit was not the Devil but a 
stupid but evil entity who thought it was the Devil. He 
performed an exorcism, and the man was relieved of all 
symptoms. 


Procel 205 


In the 1920s and 1930s, Dr. Titus Bull, a well-respected 
physician and neurologist in New York City, treated many 
of his patients spiritually as well as physically. With the 
assistance of a medium, Mrs. Carolyn Duke (a pseud- 
onym), Bull claimed to treat and sometimes cure schizo- 
phrenics, manic-depressives, and alcoholics. As had his 
predecessor DR. CARL A. WICKLAND, a pioneer in the spir- 
itual exorcism of unwanted spirits as treatment for men- 
tal disorders, Dr. Bull believed that the possessing spirits 
were not necessarily evil but merely confused. With help 
from either the doctor or other spirits, the entities could 
pass on to their proper plane, leaving the victim in peace 
and finding happiness themselves. On the basis of his ex- 
periences, Bull found that spirits enter the victim through 
the base of the brain, the solar plexus, or the reproductive 
organs. He also postulated that pains suffered by the liv- 
ing might be pains produced by the obsessing dead spirit, 
especially if that spirit suffered in life. 


FURTHER READING: 

Blai, Adam. “Demonology from a Roman Catholic Perspec- 
tive.” Available online. URL: http://www.visionaryliving. 
com/ghosts.html. Downloaded August 14, 2006. 

Crabtree, Adam. Multiple Man, Explorations in Possession and 
Multiple Personality. New York: Praeger, 1985. 

Ebon, Martin. The Devils Bride, Exorcism: Past and Present. 
New York: Harper & Row, 1974. 

Eliade, Mircea. Shamanism. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton Uni- 
versity Press, 1964. 

Fortea, Fr. José Antonio. Interview with an Exorcist: An Insid- 
ers Look at the Devil, Diabolic Possession, and the Path to 
Deliverance. West Chester, Pa.: Ascension Press, 2006. 

Goodman, Felicitas D. The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel. 
Oreg.: Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1981. 

. How About Demons? Possession and Exorcism in the 
Modern World. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 
1988. 

Ibn Taymeeyah’ Essay on the Jinn (Demons). Abridged, anno- 
tated and translated by Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips. 
New Delhi: Islamic Book Service, 2002. 

Kapferer, Bruce. A Celebration of Demons. Bloomington: Indi- 
ana University Press, 1983. 

Kelly, Henry Ansgar. The Devil, Demonology, and Witch- 
craft: The Development of Christian Beliefs in Evil Spirits. 
Eugene, Oreg.: Wipf & Stock, 1974. 

Martin, Malachi. Hostage to the Devil. New York: Harper & 
Row, 1987. 

Oesterreich, T. K. Possession: Demonical and Other among 
Primitive Races, in Antiquity, the Middle Ages and Modern 
Times. New Hyde Park, N.Y.: University Books, 1966. 

Peck, M. Scott. Glimpses of the Devil: A Psychiatrists Personal 
Accounts of Possession, Exorcism and Redemption. Detroit: 
Free Press, 2005. 

. People of the Lie. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1983. 

Wickland, Carl. Thirty Years among the Dead. 1924. Reprint, 
N. Hollywood, Calif.: Newcastle, 1974. 

Wilkinson, Tracy. The Vatican’ Exorcists: Driving Out the Devil 
in the 21st Century. New York: Warner Books, 2007. 


Zaffis, John, and Brian McIntyre. Shadows of the Dark. New 
York: iUniverse, Inc., 2004. 


Prince of Darkness Title given to SATAN and BELIAL. In 
the Dead Sea Scrolls, Belial is appointed by God to cor- 
rupt and to serve as “the prince of the dominion of wick- 
edness.” He is followed by the children of falsehood. The 
Prince of Darkness also is the Angel of Death. 


Prince of Darkness (1987) Horror film written and 
directed by John Carpenter, about the attempt of SATAN 
to release the ultimate evil into the world. In writing the 
script, Carpenter sought to merge the idea of evil with 
the physics of matter and antimatter. The film is regarded 
as one of the creepiest good-versus-evil horror films. 

Donald Pleasance stars as Father Loomis, who, with 
other priests, has discovered a mysterious large glass 
cylinder in the basement of an abandoned church in Los 
Angeles. The cylinder contains a swirling green liquid. 
Loomis invites a college professor, Howard Birack (Vic- 
tor Wong), to investigate. Birack arrives with a team of 
students, who tackle the problem via physics. They learn 
from a text that the liquid is actually Satan himself, and 
he is the son of an even more evil force, an anti-God, who 
is trapped in another dimension. If released from the cyl- 
inder, Satan will seek an interdimensional portal to draw 
his father through into the world. 

The liquid begins spilling out of the cylinder, enabling 
Satan to take POSSESSION of the students one by one. Once 
possessed, they turn on the others. There are swarms 
of insects. The students are prevented from fleeing the 
church, which comes under siege by an army of possessed 
people outside. In addition, they share a chilling dream, a 
warning sent back in time from the year 1999, in which a 
fragment of video shows a dark figure emerging from the 
church. A voice repeats, “Warning, this is not a dream.” 

One possessed student tries to draw the anti-God 
through a MIRROR portal, but the mirror is too small and 
the attempt fails. The student finds a larger mirror and 
begins to draw the hand of Satan’s father through it. He 
is tackled by Catherine Danforth (Lisa Blount), another 
student, and both fall into the mirror and the portal. The 
priest shatters the mirror, trapping everyone, including 
the satanic Father, inside. 

The evil is dispelled. The possessed students die, the 
unpossessed recover, and the possessed crowd disperses. 

Later, Danforth’s lover, Brian Marsh, also one of the 
investigators (Jameson Parker), has the recurring dream 
again, except that the dark figure that emerges from the 
church is recognizable as a possessed Danforth. Still 
dreaming, he rolls over in bed to find Danforth in the form 
of Satan lying beside him. He awakens screaming and goes 
to his bedroom mirror, touching it as the film ends. 


Procel (Crocell, Pucel) FALLEN ANGEL and 49th of the 
72 SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. Procel is a duke who appears in 


206 Processus Sathane 


the form of an ANGEL. He speaks mystically of hidden 
and secret things and teaches geometry and the liberal 
sciences. Upon command, he will make a commotion 
and make the sound of roaring water. He also warms 
waters and tempers thermal spring baths. Before his fall, 
he was in the angelic order of powers. He rules over 48 
LEGIONs of DEMONs. 


Processus Sathane  Devil’s advocate drama in which a 
representative of SATAN appeals to God for his right to 
lead humanity astray. The Processus Sathane, or “play of 
Masscheroen,” as it is also known, dates to the 12th cen- 
tury, a time when mariolatry, or devotion to the Blessed 
Virgin Mary, was at a peak. 

The earliest known version of the Processus Sathane 
dates to 1260 in Jacob van Maerlant’s Merlijn, a transla- 
tion of Robert de Boron’s Merlin. The original form of the 
Processus Sathane was that of a debate. Over time, cita- 
tions from canonical law were added. It was produced asa 
pageant by the 14th century in a variety of languages. 

The general story line is as follows: 

Now that mankind can be forgiven for sins, Satan and 
his DEMONs worry that they will be cheated out of their 
right to tempt people into sin. The devils decide to elect a 
representative to go to the Court of Heaven to plead their 
case. Masscheroen, the elected one, asks God to sum- 
mon mankind before the court and plead against him. 
God agrees, deciding that Good Friday shall be the day. 
Masscheroen objects, but God assures him that he will be 
given dispensation. 

Masscheroen appears early on Good Friday and susses 
out the court for the best place to make his case as the ac- 
cuser. He is armed with the Bible for reference. Nothing 
happens—no representative of the accused arrives—and, 
by noon, Masscheroen is impatient. God tells him to have 
patience. Masscheroen snaps, “I have spent all this day 
in the kingdom of justice, but there is no justice.” God 
adjourns court until the following day. 

Meanwhile, Mary finds out about the situation and of- 
fers herself as the advocate of humankind. The next day, 
she arrives in court with a retinue of ANGELs, patriarchs, 
and prophets, much to Masscheroen’s dismay. Mary sits 
at the side of Jesus, the judge. Masscheroen protests, but 
Mary is allowed to remain. 

Masscheroen pulls out his Bible and reads a verse God 
spoke to Adam and Eve: “This thou shalt know: thou 
mayest eat from all the fruits except this one and thou 
shalt regret the hour thou eatest thereof, for thou shalt die 
the one after the other.” 

Masscheroen demands that these words be executed at 
all times. Mary counters that the DEVIL is guilty of false- 
hood for beguiling Adam and Eve, and she blames him for 
the Fall. Masscheroen is laughed at by the court. 

He says that offenses should be punished even if there 
is no accuser. Mankind sinned publicly, and neither he, 
Masscheroen, nor Mary can have any bearing on the case. 


This worries Mary, and she makes a compassionate 
appeal to the court. She tears off her clothes and exposes 
her breast, reminding Jesus how she bore and fed him. 
Weeping, she asks him to choose between her and Mass- 
cheroen. Jesus denies Masscheroen. 

Masscheroen replies: “Flesh and blood have counseled 
thee and not the justice of heaven. I knew this would hap- 
pen. It is hard to have the Judge’s mother as opponent.” 
But he does not give up and refigures his strategy. He 
advocates dividing up mankind. He should get the lion’s 
share, for good people are only a mustard seed. 

Mary answers by addressing Jesus, “This was done long 
ago, when thou didst hang on the cross, and bought man- 
kind. We shall, therefore, have no further weighing.” 

Masscheroen roars in fury. He demands two advo- 
cates, and Justice and Truth are given to him. The angels 
advise Mary to choose advocates, and she selects Mercy 
and Peace. The four advocates continue the debate. Even- 
tually, all four side with Mary, and Masscheroen makes a 
humiliating retreat. 


FURTHER READING: 

de Bruyn, Lucy. Woman and the Devil in Sixteenth-Century Lit- 
erature. Tisbury, England: Bear Book/The Compton Press, 
1979. 


Psellus, Michael (1018-ca. 1078) Byzantine scholar, 
philosopher, author, and statesman, who undertook a 
classification of DEMONs in his work On the Work of 
Demons. 

Michael Psellus was born in Constantinople, where he 
rose to prominence in the royal court as a lawyer and phi- 
losopher. He became imperial secretary under Emperor 
Michael V in 1041-42. He taught philosophy at the Acad- 
emy at Constantinople, where he advocated the ideas of 
Plato over those of the more popular Aristotle. 

Psellus’ book On the Work of Demons was translated 
into Latin by Marsilio Ficino, and then into Italian by a 
mid-loth-century scholar. He said the DEVIL was the ar- 
tificer of all evils, the lord of subcelestial things, and the 
counterpart to God. 

In the Neoplatonic view, demons were more like the 
Greek DAIMONES, morally ambivalent intermediary beings 
rather than FALLEN ANGELS. Psellus’ demonic classes are 


e leliouria, shining or glowing ones who live in the 
ether, a rarified sphere beyond the Moon 

e aeria, demons of the air below the Moon 

e chthonia, demons who live on the land 

e hydraia or enalia, demons who live in the water 

e hypochthonia, demons who live beneath the earth 

e misophaes, blind and nearly senseless demons who 
hate the light and live in the lowest parts of HELL 


Demons swarm everywhere. Higher demons act on 
the intellect, imagination, and senses, and lower demons 
are animalistic, causing disease and bad luck and engag- 


Purson 207 


ing in POSSESSION. Lower demons can speak, and they ut- 
ter false prophecies. 

Demons can be repelled by sacred words and objects 
in Christianity, Psellus said, and by holy women and men, 
who can cause them great pain. 


Purson (Curson) FALLEN ANGEL and 20th of the 72 
SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. Purson once was in the angelic 


order of virtues and partly in the order of thrones. In 
HELL, he is a great king. He appears as a lion-headed 
man, riding on a bear and carrying a viper. He is pre- 
ceded by many trumpeters. Purson hides and reveals 
treasure; discerns the past, present, and future; provides 
good FAMILIARs; and gives true answers about matters 
both human and divine. He commands 22 LEGIONs of 
DEMONS. 


rabisu A type of Babylonian DEMON who lurks at the 
thresholds of homes, waiting to attack humans. Rabisu 
means “the ones that lie in wait.” 

The rabisu were deeply feared in Babylonian times. In- 
verted bowls inscribed with magical charms were placed 
at the corners of foundations in an effort to trap and con- 
tain them. (See INCANTATION BOWL.) An ancient inscrip- 
tion about them says that doors and bolts will not stop 
them. They can glide into doors as SERPENTs do and enter 
through windows as the wind does. Rabisu also perch on 
rooftops waiting to devour newborn infants. 

Not all rabisu are evil; some are good. 

See BAR EGARA. 
Rais, Gilles de. See GILLES DE RAIS. 
rakshasas The most powerful and numerous DEMONs 
of the Indian underworld, feared as cannibals, vampires, 
night stalkers, assassins, “dark faces,” and biters. Rak- 
shasa means “to guard” and refers to the demons’ task of 
guarding the elixir of immortality found on the floor of 
the ocean. 

The rakshasas are ruled by RAVANA and live on the 
island of Lanka. They haunt burial grounds, reanimate 
dead bodies, and cannibalize people. They have a multi- 
tude of grotesque shapes, with the heads of SERPENTs or 
animals, two to four crooked legs, and long sharp teeth. 
Some are beautiful, however, and go about in magnifi- 
cent clothing. 


208 


Ranfaing, Elizabeth de See NANCY POSSESSION. 

Raum (Raym) FALLEN ANGEL and 40th of the 72 SPIRITS 
OF SOLOMON. Raum is an earl who appears as a crow but 
will shift to human form when commanded to do so. He 
steals treasure, even from kings, and carries it anywhere. 
He destroys cities and the dignities of men. Raum also 
discerns the past, present, and future and makes friends 
and enemies love each other. Before his fall, he was in 
the angelic order of thrones. He governs 30 LEGIONs of 
DEMONS. 


Ravana Powerful Indian DEMON who is lord and mas- 
ter of the fearsome RAKSHASAS. Ravana’s parents are Vis- 
ravas and Nikasha, descendants of the first demons 
created. Ravana is equal in stature to SATAN. He and his 
hordes of demons live on the island of Sri Lanka (for- 
merly Ceylon). 

Ravana has 10 heads, 20 arms, copper-colored eyes, 
bright teeth, and a huge form. His body is covered with 
the scars of battle wounds. He can stand as tall as a moun- 
tain and with a single look stop the Sun and Moon in their 
paths. He breaks all laws and ravishes any woman of his 
choice. He has a regal bearing. 

The Ramayana tells a great deal about Ravana. The 
city of Lanka, solid gold, was built by Visva-Karma for 
Ravana’s half brother, Kuvera. Ravana overthrew him and 
stole his magical chariot, which he uses to leave the is- 
land and stir up trouble in the world. 


Remy, Nicholas 209 


Ravana has a trickster side to him. He spent years in 
penance to Brahma, then forced the great god to repay 
him by making him invulnerable to all the gods. Then 
he declared war on the gods, who could not defeat him. 
He captured many of them, forcing them into servitude 
on Lanka. Eventually they escaped and plotted their 
revenge. 

Ravana went next to Siva and did penance, hoping for 
the favor of immortality. He stood on one of his heads for 
1,000 years. Siva was unmoved. Ravana cut off the head 
and stood on another one for 1,000 years. This went on 
until Ravana had exhausted all of his heads, and it seemed 
that he would have to cut off the last one. Siva at last 
granted Ravana immortality, the most beautiful woman 
in the world, and the sacred phallus, Atmalingham, for 
his mother. The boons were short-lived, however, for Siva 
tricked Ravana on his return to Lanka and forced him to 
return all the favors. 

Ravana declared war on the gods again. Still unable to 
defeat him because of his invulnerability, they appealed 
to Vishnu for help. Vishnu cut himself into quarters, each 
of which became mortal. The strongest and purest was 
Rama, who had the power to kill Ravana. 

Ravana kidnapped Rama’s wife, Sita, and imprisoned 
her on Lanka. He threatened to eat her unless she agreed 
to marry him. Sita held him off long enough for Rama to 
build a bridge to Lanka, where Rama engaged in battles 
with Ravana. Finally, Rama shot an arrow clean through 
the demon, killing him. 


Raysiel DEMON among the 31 AERIAL SPIRITS OF SOLO- 
MON. Raysiel serves under DEMORIEL and rules as a king 
in the north, attended by 50 dukes during the day and 50 
more at night. Each duke has 50 servants. The daytime 
demons are good-natured; the nighttime demons are evil, 
stubborn, and disobedient. The 16 major dukes of the 
day are Baciar, Thoac, Sequiel, Sadar, Terath, Astael, Rar- 
nica, Dubarus, Armena, Albhadur, Chanael, Fursiel, 
Baetasiel, Melcha, Tharas, and Vriel. The 14 of the night 
are Thariel, Paras, Arayl, Culmar, Lazaba, Aleisi, Sebach, 
Betasiel, Belsay, Morael, Sarach, Arepach, Lamas, and 
Thurcal. 


Remy, Nicholas (Nicholas Rémy, Remigius) (1530- 
1616) French lawyer, demonologist, and witch hunter. 
Nicholas Remy claimed to have sent 900 witches to their 
deaths over a 15-year period in Lorraine, France. Remy’s 
book, Demonolatry, served as a leading guide for witch 
hunters. 

Remy was born in Charmes to a Roman Catholic fam- 
ily of distinguished lawyers. His father was mayor of 
Charmes. He followed the family tradition and studied 
law at the University of Toulouse. He practiced in Paris 
from 1563 to 1570, when he was appointed lieutenant 
general of Vosges, filling a vacancy created by his retir- 
ing uncle. He held chairs in law and literature at several 


French universities. Remy also was a historian and poet 
and wrote several works on history. He was married and 
had “numerous” children, including three sons. 

As a youth Remy had witnessed the trials of witches, 
which shaped his later opinions that witches were thor- 
oughly evil and must be exterminated. He believed that 
France was riddled with secret covens of witches plotting 
malicious acts in league with DEMONs and the DEVIL. He 
even believed that everything unexplained and not nor- 
mal is in the “cursed domain of demonology.” 

In 1575, Remy was appointed secretary and privy 
councillor to Duke Charles III of Lorraine and went to 
live in Nancy. The duke also made him a provost of Nancy. 
There were four to six provosts, and they constituted a 
ducal court that judged all criminal cases, including 
those involving sorcery and witchcraft. Remy was zeal- 
ous in pursuing the latter cases and, if he could not judge 
them himself, had detailed reports submitted to him. He 
earned the title of “scourge of the witches.” His dedica- 
tion impressed the duke, who conferred a noble title upon 
him as a reward. 

In 1582, Remy took up his own personal crusade 
against witches in greater earnest. Several days after re- 
fusing to give money to a beggar woman, his eldest son 
died. Remy was convinced the woman was a witch and 
successfully prosecuted her for bewitching his son to 
death. He controlled all the courts within his jurisdic- 
tion and ordered all the magistrates to prosecute witches. 
He even took to the road himself to make certain that 
his orders were followed. No village was too small for his 
inspection. 

As did his contemporary Jean Bodin, Remy believed 
in Devil’s PACTs, wild SABBATs, and maleficia against 
people and beasts. He believed fantastic stories about 
demons raising mountains in the blink of an eye, mak- 
ing rivers run backward, extinguishing the stars, and 
making the sky fall. As did Bodin and other authorities, 
he advocated the torture of witches and their execution 
by burning. 

In 1592, after a decade of prosecuting witches, Remy 
retired to the countryside to escape the plague. There, he 
compiled Demonolatry, which was published in 1595 in 
Lyons. The book is divided into three parts: a study of SA- 
TANISM, accounts of the activities of witches, and Remy’s 
conclusions, based on confessions and evidence obtained 
in the 900 trials. 

Remy discussed the powers, activities, and limitations 
of demons. He asserted that witches and demons were in- 
extricably linked. He described witches’ black magic and 
spells, the various ways in which they poisoned people, 
and their infernal escapades with demons and the DEVIL. 
Demons prepared ointments, powders, and poisons for 
witches to use against human beings and beasts. 

He devoted much space to describing satanic pacts and 
the feasting, dancing, and sexual orgies that took place at 
sabbats. He described how the Devil drew people into his 


210 Revelation 


service, first with cajoling and promises of wealth, power, 
love, or comfort, then with threats of disaster or death, 
such as the following: 


At Guermingen, 19th Dec., 1589, Antoine Welch no 
longer dared oppose the Demon in anything after he 
threatened to twist his neck unless he obeyed his com- 
mands, for he seemed on the very point of fulfilling his 
threat. ... Certainly there are many examples in pagan 
histories of houses being cast down, the destruction of 
the crops, chasms in the earth, fiery blasts and other 
such disastrous tempests stirred up by Demons for the 
destruction of men for no other purpose than to bind 
their minds to the observance of some new cult and to 
establish their mastery more and more firmly over them. 

Therefore we may first conclude that it is no mere 
fable that witches meet and converse with Demons in 
very person. Secondly, it is clear that Demons use the 
two most powerful weapons of persuasion against the 
feeble wills of mortals, namely, hope and fear, desire and 
terror; for they well know how to induce and inspire 
such emotions. 


Remy believed that ghosts of the dead could not re- 
main on Earth and could not be summoned from the 
grave through necromancy. Such entities, he said, were 
demons masquerading as souls of the dead, and he cited 
similar statements by St. Justin Martyr, one of the early 
fathers of the church. Remy said the body is completely 
dissolved by death and cannot be reconstituted in any 
way. Ghosts were in reality “foul and unclean spirits” in- 
habiting “stinking corpses.” 

Remy’s claim of sending 900 witches to their deaths 
cannot be corroborated by existing records; he cites only 
128 cases himself in his book. Nevertheless, his argu- 
ments impressed others as reasoned and beyond refute. 
Demonolatry was an immediate success and was reprinted 
eight times, including two German translations. It be- 
came a leading handbook of witch hunters, replacing the 
MALLEUS MALEFICARUM in some parts of Europe. 

Remy continued in the service of the duke until his 
death in Charmes in April 1612, secure in the righteous- 
ness of his work. 


FURTHER READING: 

Finlay, Anthony. Demons! The Devil, Possession and Exorcism. 
London: Blandford, 1999. 

Remy, Nicholas. Demonolatry. Secaucus, N.J.: University 
Books, 1974. 


Revelation The last book of the New Testament, 
which portrays a final conflict between the forces of 
good and evil. Also called the book of the Apocalypse 
and the Apocalypse of John, Revelation portrays the Sec- 
ond Coming of Christ, the final triumph of the kingdom 
of God, and the destruction of all evil. The opening 
verse presents the book’s title as meaning either “the 


Revelation (© RICHARD COOK) 


revelation that Christ possesses and imparts” or “the 
unveiling of the person of Christ.” It is a message sent 
by God through the celestial Jesus to an angel and then 
to the author, John. 

Revelation is the only book of the New Testament 
whose character is exclusively prophetic. The text has 
been the subject of criticisms and commentaries for cen- 
turies and was even controversial in the early times of 
Christianity. 

The book officially became part of the Christian 
canon by the fourth century C.E. The identity of the au- 
thor, John, an exile on the island of Patmos, remains in 
doubt. Even some of the church fathers assumed he was 
John the Evangelist, the author of the Gospel of John. It is 
more likely that the text was written by various authors 
who blended Christian and Jewish symbolism. 

There are four main schools of interpretation of the 
book. The preterists (from the Latin term praeter, mean- 
ing beyond or past) hold that the book tells the story of 
the contemporary condition of the state of Rome and the 
church, told in a mystical code that hides the meaning 
from hostile pagans. Those of the historical school hold 
that the symbolic form tells the story of the entire histori- 
cal life of the church, not just its contemporary condition. 


Revelation 211 


The futurists hold that some passages refer to the contem- 
porary scene, and some to the return of Christ at the end 
of time. The symbolic school sees the book as a dramatic 
picture of the war between good and evil, which exists in 
varying degrees in every historical age. 

The four great visions presented in Revelation are 
each introduced with the phrase “in the spirit,” near the 
beginning of the first, fourth, seventh, and 21st chapters. 
Each of the four visions presents the seer in a different 
location, each paints a distinctive picture of Christ, and 
each advances the previous vision. 

The book is written in three parts. Part 1 features 
letters addressed to seven of the groups of Christians of 
the Roman province of Asia. The letters of the churches 
(chapters 1-3) are thought to have originally existed as 
a separate text. They depict Christ’s continuing relation- 
ship with his followers. The seven local churches may 
have been chosen to represent successive periods in the 
life of the church as a whole. 

Part 2 features the visions of judgment and the vic- 
tory of God over the forces of evil. By extensive use of the 
number 7 and other mystical numbers and symbols, the 
book foretells (or “reveals”) a violent end of the world. 
First, seven seals are broken ona scroll that reveal visions 
of what is to come. 

The first four seals reveal the Four Horsemen, often 
called the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. These are 
symbols of the evils to come at the Second Coming: a 
white horse (conquest), a red horse (war), a black horse 
(famine), and a pale horse (plague). 

The fifth seal concerns the vengeance of the saints, 
who have been “killed on account of the Word of God.” 
They are given white robes and told to be patient a little 
longer while more of their fellow servants and brothers 
will be killed. 

The sixth seal reveals a cosmic catastrophe caused by 
the “wrath of the Lamb.” There is a violent earthquake, 
the Sun goes black, the Moon turns red as BLOOD, and 
stars fall from the sky. All the people of the earth, includ- 
ing the mighty, hide. 

The seventh seal tells how ANGELs are ordered to 
wreak destruction upon the land, to strike and kill ev- 
eryone save for 144,000 people marked with a cross on 
their foreheads. The angels blow their trumpets, and the 
earth burns, the seas turn to blood, fire falls from the 
sky, and water turns to wormwood. One-third of every- 
thing, including the celestial bodies, is destroyed. The 
Abyss opens and belches smoke and pours out locusts 
with scorpion tails upon the earth, demonic forces that 
torture people. 

Signs appear in heaven: a woman clothed with the Sun 
and standing on a crescent Moon, who gives birth to a 
boy who is taken into heaven; and a seven-headed red 
dragon with 10 horns and crowns of coronets. A war— 
Armageddon—breaks out in heaven. Michael and his an- 


gels attack the dragon, known as the DEVIL or SATAN, who 
fights back with his own army of DEMONs. The satanic 
forces are defeated, driven out of heaven, and hurled to 
the earth. But it is not yet the end for evil, for Satan rises 
anew as beasts from the land and sea. The beast that rises 
out of the sea is like a leopard with bear paws and a lion’s 
mouth, and the dragon’s seven heads and 10 horns. The 
beast that emerges from the earth has two horns like a 
lamb and makes noise like a dragon. 

The beast worshippers are marked with the number 
equivalent to its name, 666 (see SIX-SIX-SIX), while Je- 
sus and his special 144,000—those who will ascend to 
heaven—are marked with the name of God. An angel 
warns that beast worshippers will be condemned to eter- 
nal torture and punishment (HELL). The faithful are ex- 
horted to fear God and glorify him. 

God’s wrath has not ended, however. Seven angels 
unleash seven plagues upon the earth, including demon 
spirits who look like frogs and are able to work miracles. 
The whore of Babylon, the “mother of all the prostitutes 
and all the filthy practices on the earth,” appears riding 
the Satanic seven-headed, 10-horned beast. The dead are 
summoned to the throne of God and are judged. 

Part three features a vision of heaven. John is taken 
to a high mountain, where he looks down on the perfect 
holy city of Jerusalem, constructed on the number 12. 
God and the Lamb are in radiant glory. There are a river 
of life and trees of life. John sees a new heaven and a new 


anal 
j) . 
ey ta 


Revelation (© RICHARD COOK) 


212 Rimmon 


Jerusalem. Creation is made anew. The book concludes 
with a call to all those who listen to “come.” 

The immediacy of the Last Day is a belief of many 
Christian groups. Even the first-century Christians 
interpreted the New Testament, especially the closing two 
verses of Revelation, to mean these events were to happen 
in their lifetime. St. Augustine believed that the Second 
Coming of Christ would happen in the year 1,000. Ever 
since, some religious leaders have prophesied a specific 
time for the final day. 


Possession by the Apocalypse Archetype 

The Apocalypse presented in Revelation is deeply em- 
bedded in the Western collective psyche as an archetype, 
one capable of possessing people and dramatically influ- 
encing their behavior, according to the Jungian analyst 
Edward F. Edinger. Such individuals become religious 
zealots and exhibit the traits of both criminals and the 
insane, Edinger said. Two notable examples of “posses- 
sion by Apocalypse archetype” he cited are David Koresh 
and the Heaven's Gate cult. 

Koresh, born in 1959 as Vernon Howell, became con- 
vinced that God had revealed to him total understanding 
of Revelation. He identified himself with the “apocalyptic 
Lamb” and established a cult in Waco, Texas, the Branch 
Davidians, ruling it with an iron hand. In 1993, the com- 
pounded was raided by federal agents of the Bureau of Al- 
cohol, Tobacco and Firearms and was set on fire. Koresh 
was among those killed in the blaze. 

Heaven’s Gate, under the leadership of Marshall Ap- 
plewhite and Bonnie Nettles, believed in the coming end 
of the world as described in Revelation and thought that 
they and their followers would be martyred by the beast 
of the abyss and would ascend to heaven. Applewhite 
and Nettles had identified themselves since 1972 with 
the “two witnesses” described in Revelation 11, the two 
lampstands and two olive trees in attendance to the Lord, 
who would prophesy for 1,260 days. 

Nettles died of cancer in 1985. By 1997, the group 
grew tired of waiting for biblical martyrdom and contem- 
plated provoking the government to speed events along. 
They also believed that the resurrection cloud described 
in Revelation would manifest as a UFO or spaceship full 
of aliens. The appearance of the comet Hale-Bopp in 1997 
was seen as a sign that Nettles was approaching in a ship 
behind the comet to collect her flock for the Rapture to 
heaven. The entire group of 39 persons committed mass 
suicide by drinking poison. 


FURTHER READING: 

Edinger, Edward E Archetype of the Apocalypse: A Jungian 
Study of the Book of Revelation. Chicago: Open Court, 
1999. 


Rimmon FALLEN ANGEL. Rimmon means “exalted” or 
“roarer” in Hebrew. Originally, Rimmon was an Aramaic 
deity and Syrian idol. In Babylonian and Semite lore, he 


was the god of thunder and storms. As a DEMON, he is 
infernal ambassador to Russia. 


Rituale Romanum Catholic priests service manual 
that includes the only formal EXORCISM rites sanctioned 
by an established church. First written in 1614 under 
Pope Paul V, the Rituale Romanum remained untouched 
until 1952, when two small revisions were made in the 
language. More revisions were done by the Second Vati- 
can Council (1962-65), and the rite was reissued in 
1999. 

The Rituale includes rites for BAPTISM, confirmation, 
the Holy Eucharist, penance, anointing the sick, mar- 
riage, the holy orders of priesthood, the seven pentential 
psalms and liturgy of the saints, death and burial, bless- 
ings, processions, and litanies, besides exorcism. 

As early as its 17th-century publication, the Rituale 
strongly cautions the priest against exorcism when no 
true POSSESSION exists. As medical science further defines 
illnesses previously thought to be the result of demonic 
interference—hysteria, epilepsy, multiple personality 
disorder, schizophrenia, paranoia, sexual dysfunction, 
and other neuroses brought on by childhood terrors and 
obsessions—determining true possession has become in- 
creasingly difficult. The 1952 revisions change the word- 
ing that symptoms of possession “are signs of the pres- 
ence of a demon” to “might be.” Those in alternative states 
to possession, originally described as “those who suffer 
from melancholia or any other illness,” became “those 
who suffer from illness, particularly mental illnesses.” 
Many devout Christians have turned away from the idea 
of possessing DEMONs at all. 

More revisions were undertaken by the Second Vati- 
can Council. Since 1999, the exorcism portion has been 
reissued in a new 90-page document, De Exorcismus et 
Supplicationibus Quibusdam (Concerning Exorcisms and 
Certain Supplications). The rite includes prayers and pas- 
sages from the Bible and calls upon the demons, in pow- 
erful Latin, to depart in the name of Jesus Christ. 

The new version eliminates some of the rough me- 
dieval language used to describe the Devil. And instead 
of having the exorcist command the demons or Devil to 
leave the victim, the exorcist now calls on God to com- 
mand the demons to leave. 

Guidelines also were issued stating that exorcisms 
should not be performed as part of healing services or 
masses, especially any involving hysteria, theatrics, or 
sensationalism. 

However, if the victim exhibits paranormal capabili- 
ties, shows superhuman strength, and, most importantly, 
manifests knowledge of previously unknown languages, 
then he or she is a possible candidate for demonic exor- 
cism. If such symptoms accompany extreme revulsion to- 
ward sacred texts and objects, then the church may deem 
the victim possessed. With permission from a bishop, the 
exorcist begins the ancient ritual. 


Rosemary’s Baby 213 


Exorcism is not a sacrament but a rite and is not de- 
pendent on rigid adherence to a set of actions. Rather, 
exorcism relies on the authorization of the church and 
the faith of the exorcist. The exorcist is free to vary the 
procedure, substituting his own favorite prayers, altering 
the sequence of events, or speaking in his own language. 
Most exorcists have found, however, that Latin particu- 
larly bothers evil spirits. 

The Rituale exhorts the exorcist to make sure that 
the victim is possessed and not suffering from mental 
illness. Even during exorcism, the priest should con- 
tinue to question the victim about his or her mental and 
spiritual state. Under no circumstances should the exor- 
cist offer medicine to the victim, leaving such work to 
the medical practitioner. If the possessed is a woman, 
the exorcist should be assisted by a strong woman, pref- 
erably from the possessed’s family, to prevent any hint 
of scandal. The possessed should hold a crucifix during 
the exorcism, and the exorcist is encouraged to use holy 
water and relics, recite passages from the Bible, and lib- 
erally make the sign of the cross over the victim. Finally, 
the exorcist should speak in a commanding voice, only 
questioning the Devil about his name, the number of 
demons in possession, where they are from, and how 
they got there. 

Before beginning, the priest should make confession. 
Then, donning a surplice and purple stole (required of 
an exorcising priest), the exorcist stands before the pos- 
sessed and recites the Litanies of the Saints, the Pater 
Noster (the Lord’s Prayer), and Psalm 53. He calls upon 
the demon to state why it is possessing the victim and 
when it intends to depart. The demon is asked to name 
itself, giving the exorcist an advantage. The exorcist gives 
more Scripture readings, then does a laying on of hands. 
He calls upon God to command the demon to leave, then 
enjoins the spirit to succumb to JESUS and depart back to 
HELL, the depths of gehennam. 

Each recitation is accompanied by more prayers, in- 
cluding the Ave Maria (Hail Mary), the Gloria Patri (Glory 
Be to the Father), the Anima Christi (Body of Christ), the 
Salve Regina (Save us, merciful Mary), the sign of the 
cross, and Scripture readings. The demon is enjoined a 
second time; the exorcist repeats each of these acts until 
the demon leaves permanently. 

The victim, released from evil, is then encouraged to 
profess faith in Christ and refrain from evil thoughts and 
actions so as to provide no haven for devils in the future. 
More prayers are said, and then, finally, the exorcist asks 
the Lord’s help in protecting the victim from further harm. 

Exorcising demonic infestation of a place rather than 
a person follows a shorter ritual. The priest invokes the 
archangel Michael to intercede with Christ on behalf of 
the church and to crush the serpent. This call is followed 
by a formal announcement of the exorcism, prayer, then 
an address to Satan and his legions to leave the place and 
harm it no longer. The priest offers more prayers, always 


accompanied by the sign of the cross, and blesses the 
place with holy water. 


FURTHER READING: 

Martin, Malachi. Hostage to the Devil. New York: Harper & 
Row, 1976. 

Oesterreich, Traugott K. Possession and Exorcism. Secaucus, 
NJ: University Books, 1966. 

Wilkinson, Tracy. The Vatican’ Exorcists: Driving Out the Devil 
in the 21st Century. New York: Warner Books, 2007. 


Roche Rock = Three-pointed outcropping of rock in the 
Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, England, said to be haunted 
by demonic spirits. Roche Rock, several miles south of 
the town of Bodmin, was formed millions of years ago 
out of gray quartz and black tourmaline, distinctly dif- 
ferent from the surrounding granite and clay. Numerous 
legends are associated with it. 

Roche Rock juts up from the boggy moor and cuts a 
striking, brooding figure on the landscape. It has been 
associated with sacred and supernatural lore. St. Conan, 
the first bishop of Cornwall, was said to have lived atop 
the largest of the three peaks as a hermit prior to be- 
coming bishop. In 1409, a brick chapel was built there, 
supposedly by the last male heir of Tregarrick, and was 
dedicated to the archangel St. Michael. A man suffering 
from leprosy took up residence there as a hermit and was 
attended by his daughter, St. Gundred, until he died. 

The area around Roche Rock was said to be the hunt- 
ing grounds of King Arthur. Another hermit said to have 
lived there was Ogrin, who gave refuge to the legendary 
lovers Tristan and Iseult when they were trying to escape 
King Mark of Cornwall. 

According to lore, JAN TREGEAGLE tried to find refuge at 
Roche Rock when he was being pursued across the moor 
by the DEVIL and his hellhounds. Tregeagle’s head became 
stuck in the east window of the chapel. His ghost haunts 
the rock, especially when winds howl around the moor. 

Roche Rock is also said to be haunted by DEMONs, 
mine spirits, a phantom monk, and the ghost of the leper 
hermit. 


FURTHER READING: 

Bird, Sheila. Haunted Places of Cornwall: On the Trail of the 
Paranormal. Newbury, England: Countryside Books, 
2006. 


Ronove (Roneve, Ronobe) FALLEN ANGEL and 27th of 
the 72 SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. Ronobe is an earl and mar- 
quis who appears as a monster. He teaches rhetoric and 
art, as well as knowledge and understanding of lan- 
guages. He gives the favor of friends and enemies. He has 
19 LEGIONs of DEMONS. 


Rosemary’s Baby (1967) Ira Levin’s novel about Devil- 
worshipping witches who conspire to have a woman bear 
the ANTICHRIST. 


214 Rosemary’s Baby 


Rosemary’s Baby was made into a film in 1968, star- 
ring Mia Farrow as the victim mother, John Cassavetes as 
her opportunistic husband who sells her out to the DEVIL, 
and Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer as the ringleader 
witches of a coven. Ralph Bellamy stars as a doctor and 
member of the coven. Much of the shooting was done at 
the Dakota, New York’s brooding Gothic residence of the 
rich and famous and the site where, in 1980, John Lennon 
was fatally shot. 

Levin’s plot deals with Devil worshippers who call 
themselves witches. They follow the Devil’s instructions 
to arrange for him to rape the woman the Devil has cho- 
sen to conceive and deliver the Antichrist. 

The story takes place in New York City in 1966. 
Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse are young newlyweds 
in search of a new apartment. Guy is a mediocre actor 
struggling to succeed but barely making it in bit parts and 
commercials. At the sinister-looking Branford building, 
Rosemary falls in love with an apartment and persuades 
Guy to rent it. The apartment belonged to a mysterious 
old woman who grew herbs and died in a coma. 

After taking the apartment, the Woodhouses learn 
from a writer friend, Edward Hutchins (“Hutch”), that 
the Branford has a long and dark history of crime and 
strange happenings, including cannibal sisters and a dead 


aL, 


Mia Farrow as Rosemary Woodhouse, whose husband sells 
her to Satan in order to give birth to his demonic son in 
Roman Polanski’ film Rosemary's Baby (1968) (AUTHOR’S 
COLLECTION) 


baby found in the basement. It was home to the notorious 
Adrian Marcato, a self-proclaimed witch of the late 19th 
century, who claimed to be able to conjure up the Devil. 
The Woodhouses laugh it off. 

The Woodhouses meet their odd neighbors, Minnie 
and Roman Castevet, following the suicide of a young girl 
who was living with them. Unbeknownst to Rosemary, 
the Castevets seduce Guy with promises of professional 
success in exchange for the satanic rape of Rosemary. 
Rosemary is drugged by a chocolate mousse dessert made 
by Minnie but remains conscious enough during her hid- 
eous ordeal to know that it is not a dream. The naked 
witches stand around her chanting while an inhuman 
monster with animal eyes, reptilian skin, and a huge pe- 
nis rapes her. The following morning, she uncomfortably 
decides it was a dream, after all. Guy tells her he made 
love to her while she was asleep. 

Rosemary becomes pregnant, and the Castevets con- 
vince her to see Dr. Abraham Saperstein. Saperstein 
prescribes a daily “vitamin” drink made by Minnie, sup- 
posedly containing fresh herbs. The true ingredient is 
a mysterious and vile-smelling “tanis root.” This root, 
which is more like a fungus, also is contained in a silver 
amulet necklace the Castevets give Rosemary to wear— 
the same necklace worn by the suicidal girl. 

The pregnancy does not go well. Rosemary loses 
weight and suffers constant pain, which Saperstein tells 
her is not unusual. When Hutch visits and hears of the 
tanis root, he becomes alarmed and does research. He at- 
tempts to tell Rosemary of his findings but is felled by a 
coma and dies before he is able to do so, murdered by a 
CURSE cast by the witches. At his funeral, a woman gives 
Rosemary a book that Hutch had wanted her to have, 
along with the message that “the name is an anagram.” 

The book, All of Them Witches, tells of a fungus 
known as “Devil’s pepper” used in rituals, and profiles 
various infamous witches, among them Adrian Marcato. 
Rosemary gets out her Scrabble set to try to decipher the 
anagram in the book’s title, but nothing makes sense. 
Then she notices that the name of Marcato’s son, Steven, 
is underlined in the book. Steven Marcato rearranges to 
Roman Castevet. Rosemary buys books on witchcraft, 
which tell her that witches cast malevolent spells upon 
people to maim and kill them and use BLOOD in their 
rituals—particularly baby’s blood—as well as human 
flesh. She surmises the witches want her baby to use in 
their rituals. 

The dark forces close in on Rosemary, despite her at- 
tempts to save herself. She appeals to Guy, then discovers 
he is part of the conspiracy. The same thing happens with 
Saperstein. She attempts to escape, but the witches trap 
her in her apartment, and she is delivered of the baby. 
She is told the baby was stillborn, but she discovers the 
witches are keeping it in the Castevets’ apartment. 

The coven convenes to hail the birth of the Antichrist, 
who has been named Adrian Steven. Rosemary, armed 


Rosemary’s Baby 215 


with a knife, appears. She is told how the Devil chose her 
for her role. When she first sees the infant, swaddled in 
black in a black bassinet, she is horrified and can hardly 
bear to look upon the golden-yellow animal eyes, the or- 
ange-red hair, the tail, and the budding horns. His little 
hands, which have “tiny, pearly” claws, are encased in 
black mittens so that he does not scratch himself. Rose- 
mary decides she will kill the creature and commit sui- 


cide, but then becomes fascinated with it; it is, after all, 
hers. With the witches’ encouragement, she begins to 
mother it, holding on to a naive hope that she will be able 
to exert a good influence over it. The Antichrist gains a 
foothold in the world. 

Rosemary’s Baby influenced other coming-of-the-Anti- 
christ films, such as The Omen (1976), about an adopted 
child Devil who escapes destruction. 


sabbat A wild party of witches, heretics, DEMONs, and 
the DEVIL in a remote location. The participants suppos- 
edly indulge in obscene behavior, orgies, gluttony, blas- 
phemy, worship of the Devil, and the cannibalism of 
roasted infants. Use of the term sabbat or sabbath to 
describe these rites may derive from the Hebrew term 
sabbath, or synagogue. 

During the witch hysteria of the Inquisition, lurid 
confessions were tortured out of accused witches and 
were recorded by zealous demonologists. However, no 
historical evidence exists that such rites ever really took 
place. Rather, they were probably degraded, contorted 
descriptions of pagan seasonal festivals, as well as the 
Inquisition’s stance that heretics practiced obscene 
rites. 

The idea of demonic revelry was well in place in 
Christianity long before the Inquisition, however, in the 
increasing demonization of pagan deities, and in folklore 
such as the WILD HUNT. For example, the 10th-century 
Benedictine abbot Regino of Prum wrote in his De eccle- 
siasticis disciplinis: 

This too must by no means be passed over that cer- 

tain utterly abandoned women, turning aside to follow 

Satan, being seduced by the illusions and phantasmical 

shows of demons firmly believe and openly profess that 

in the dead of night they ride upon certain beasts along 

with the pagan goddess Diana and a countless horde of 

women, and that in those silent hours they fly over vast 
tracts of country and obey her as their mistress, while on 


216 


certain other nights they are summoned to do her hom- 
age and pay her service. 


The first appearance of a sabbat in trials of the Inquisi- 
tion occurred in Toulouse in 1335. Anne Marie de Georgel 
and Catherine Delort confessed to a having a PACT with 
the Devil for about 20 years to serve him in life and after 
death. On Friday nights, they attended sabbats held in 
various locations. Georgel said that the Devil appeared 
in the form of a goat and had sex with her and taught her 
how to use poisonous plants. Delort said that she, too, 
copulated with the goat. The witches ate newborn infants 
stolen from their nurses during the night and drank vile 
brews. 

The term sabbat (also sabbath) for these meetings was 
not used with consistency until about the mid-15th cen- 
tury, but after the Toulouse trials, descriptions of the rites 
were always similar. The sabbat played a more prominent 
role in Europe during the witch hunts than it did in Eng- 
land, where there is no record of a witch sabbat prior to 
1620, except for an innocuous feast that was termed a 
“sabbat” in the Lancashire witch trials of 1612. 

Sabbats sometimes took place during the day, but 
most usually occurred at night in remote locations, such 
as mountains, caves, and deep forest areas. The favored 
beginning time was midnight, after a dance. The best- 
known gathering place for sabbats, according to demo- 
nologists, was the Brocken in the Harz Mountains of 
Germany, where the greatest activity took place on Wal- 
purgisnacht (Beltane), April 30. Witches testified at their 


sabbat 217 


trials that hundreds of them would gather at these sab- 
bats. They wore masks to protect their identities. 

The frequency of sabbats varied with testimonies 
at witch trials. Witches were said to participate in them 
frequently, once to several times a week. In the AIX-EN- 
PROVENCE POSSESSIONS trials of 1614, Maria de Sains said 
they took place daily, with special sabbats of blasphemy 
and the BLACK MASS on Wednesdays and Fridays. Other 
reports were tied to pagan observances, such as the previ- 
ously mentioned Walpurgisnacht and Lammas Day (Au- 
gust 1), Midsummer (June 22), and Samhain (October 31). 

To travel to a sabbat, witches left their homes by rising 
up through the chimney and flying through the air, some- 
times on the backs of demons that had metamorphosed 
into animals or astride broomsticks, poles, reeds, or farm 
tools. The witches themselves sometimes shape shifted 
into animals and were accompanied by their FAMILIARS. 
They left behind them demons in their forms in their beds 
to fool their spouses. When asked by inquisitors how they 


could get their bodies through narrow chimneys, some 
witches said the Devil removed all obstacles so that they 
had enough room. As payment for their transport, witches 
said, they were defiled by the demons in animal form. 
Sometimes witches said they walked to sabbats, usually 
to a wooded area outside their village. 

The Devil usually appeared in the shape of a goat, 
ugly and smelly, though at times he was said to arrive as a 
toad, crow, or black cat. He presided over the sabbat while 
sitting on a throne. The Devil turned into a foul-smelling 
goat, and the witches took off their clothes and paid hom- 
age to him by falling to their knees and kissing his anus. 

Witches were forced to confess their latest crimes of 
evil. If they had committed none since the previous sab- 
bat, they were beaten by demons. 

Unbaptized infants were offered up as sacrifices. New 
witches were initiated by signing the Devil's BLACK BOOK 
in BLOOD, renouncing Christianity, taking an oath, and 
trampling upon the cross. The Devil marked his initiates 


Witches gather around the Devil at a nocturnal sabbat, as depicted in the film Haxan (1922). (AUTHOR’S COLLECTION) 


218 sabbat 


with his claw (see DEVIL'S MARK). There followed a great 
feast, with much drinking and eating, although demo- 
nologists often noted that the food tasted vile, and that 
no salt was present, for nothing evil could abide salt. If 
infants had been sacrificed, they were cooked and eaten 
by roasting or made into pies. Witches ate disinterred 
corpses and drank wine that looked and tasted like clot- 
ted black blood. If they refused to eat and drink or spat it 
out, they were beaten by demons. 

After the feasting—which always left people hungry 
and never satisfied—were dancing and indiscriminate 
copulation among the witches and demons. Witches 
danced with their backs to one another as an additional 
precaution to prevent being recognized. They did ring 
dances, moving widdershins, or counterclockwise. One 
example cited by both FRANCESCO-MARIA GUAZZO and 
NICHOLAS REMY was that of Johann von Hembach, a Ger- 
man youth who lived in the late 16th century. His mother 
allegedly was a witch and took him one night to a sabbat. 
Von Hembach was a skilled flute player, and his mother 
told him to climb up into a tree and play for the assembly. 
He did so and was aghast at the revelry that he watched 
while he played. He exclaimed, “Good God! Where did 
this crowd of fools and madmen come from?” As soon as 
he uttered the words, he fell out of the tree and injured his 
shoulder. When he called for help, the witches vanished. 

Von Hembach talked freely about this experience, 
which some believed and others said was an imaginative 
vision. In 1589, a witch who supposedly was present at 
that sabbat, Catharina Prevotte, was arrested on charges 
of witchcraft in Freissen. Prevotte told the same story. Two 
other women found guilty of witchcraft in 1590, Otilla 
Kelvers and Anguel Eysartz, also told the same story and 
said that the sabbat had taken place at Mayebuch. 

The witches also conducted obscene religious masses 
(see BLACK MASS). On occasion, the witches would go out 
into the night and raise storms or cause other trouble. 
The witches flew home before dawn and the crow of the 
cock. 

The nights of the sabbats varied. Some witches said 
they attended weekly sabbats, some at the traditional pa- 
gan seasonal festival times, and others only once or twice 
a year. 

In 1459-60, accused witches tried at Arras, France, 
confessed to sabbats, described by the inquisitor Pierre 
le Broussard: 


When they want to go to the vauderie, they spread an 
ointment, which the Devil has given them, on a wooden 
stick and rub it on their palms and all over their hands 
also; then they put the stick between their legs and fly 
off over towns, woods and stretches of water, being led 
by the devil himself to the place where their assembly is 
to be held. There they meet together and the also they 
find tables loaded with wines and things to eat, and 
there the devil appears to them, sometimes in the form 
of a he-goat, sometimes as a dog or monkey; never in 


human form. They make oblations and pay homage to 
the Devil, worshiping him. Many of them give him their 
souls or at least part of their bodies. Then with candles 
in their hands they kiss the hind parts of the goat that is 
the Devil.... 

... When the paying of homage was over, they all 
walked over a cross spitting on it, scorning Christ and 
the Holy Trinity. Then they exposed their hinder parts 
to the sky and the heavens above as a sign of their dis- 
regard for God, and, after eating and drinking their fill, 
they all had sexual intercourse; and the Devil appeared 
in both the form of a man and of a woman, and the men 
had intercourse with him in the form of a woman and 
the women in the form of a man. They also committed 
sodomy and practiced homosexuality and other vile and 
monstrous crimes against god and nature. 


In 1659, a French shepherdess gave this description of 
a sabbat that occurred on the summer solstice, observed 
by her and some companions: 


[They] heard a noise and a very dreadful uproar, and, 
looking on all sides to see whence could come these 
frightful howlings and these cries of all sorts of ani- 
mals, they saw at the foot of the mountain the figures of 
cats, goats, serpents, dragons, and every kind of cruel, 
impure and unclean animal, who were keeping their 
Sabbath and making horrible confusion, who were utter- 
ing words that were most filthy and sacrilegious that can 
be imagined and filling the air with the most abominable 
blasphemies. 


Sabbat accounts even appeared in witchcraft cases in 
the American colonies. In the 1692-93 hysteria in Salem, 
Massachusetts, accused witches participated in “Diaboli- 
cal Sacraments,” according to the Puritan minister and 
witch hunter Cotton Mather. 

Heretics as well as witches indulged in these rites. 
For example, the Fratricelli, a sect that broke away from 
the Franciscan order, were said to hold orgiastic sab- 
bats. Children born from the orgies were sacrificed and 
burned, and their ashes were mixed into the wine drunk 
by the priests. Similarly, the Waldenses, whom the church 
eventually eradicated, were said to turn to the Devil and 
make pacts with him because they were excluded from 
the church. 

Demonologists debated whether people attended sab- 
bats in physical reality or in flights of imagination. The 
MALLEUS MALEFICARUM (1487), the leading inquisitors’ 
handbook, insisted that witches could be transported 
bodily, although some did have imaginary experiences. 
Henri Boguet was among demonologists who believed in 
literal rites. 

Remy said that both real and imaginary sabbats oc- 
curred. He cited the confessions of witches such as Pre- 
votte, mentioned earlier, that sometimes witches were 
fully awake and present, and sometimes they visited in 
their sleep. Their demons either transported them bodily 
or impressed images upon their sleeping minds. 


Salem witdcraft hysteria 219 


Remy gave examples of supposed genuine sabbats. On 
July 25, 1590, a woman named Nicolette Lang-Bernhard 
was traveling from a mill at Guermingen to Assencour. 
She was walking along a forest path at high noon when 
she came upon a group of men and women dancing in a 
ring in a field. They were dancing strangely, with their 
backs to one another. There were also demons in dis- 
guise, given away by their cloven feet like those of goats 
and oxen. Stricken with fear, Lang-Bernhard called out 
the name of Jesus for protection. Immediately all the 
dancers vanished, except one man, whom she recognized, 
Petter Gross-Petter, who rose into the air and let go of a 
mop. Lang-Bernhard herself was swept up into a violent, 
suffocating gale. She managed to go home, where she lay 
deathly ill in bed for three days. 

Lang-Bernhard told her story, and Gross-Petter was 
arrested and tortured. He confessed and named others 
present, who also confessed. A herdsman, Johann Michel, 
said he had been taken from his flock and transported to 
the dance, where he had been forced to climb a tree and 
play his shepherd’s crook. When Lang-Bernhard called 
out the name of Jesus, he fell out of the tree and found 
himself back with his flock. 

The final proof of this event was the actual appear- 
ance of trodden soil, as though people had danced in a 
ring. Mingled with the human footprints were cloven 
hoof prints, according to court records. The imprints re- 
mained until the soil was plowed the following winter. 

It is doubtful that such organized, malevolent activities 
ever took place. Probably the witches’ sabbat was a fabri- 
cation of the witch hunters, who tortured victims to make 
the most outrageous confessions in order to appease the 
public fear of witchcraft and the church’s political agenda 
against heretics, Protestants, rivals, and undesirables. It is 
plausible that seasonal festivals and other gatherings, along 
with traditional stories and superstitions, were twisted 
into diabolic sabbats by the manipulations of inquisitors. 
Victims who confessed were pressed to name others who 
had attended the sabbats. In this manner, entire villages 
sometimes became implicated in Devil worship. 

Wiccans and Pagans use the term sabbat to describe 
their religious ceremonies, which are recreations of an- 
cient pagan rites to observe seasonal festivals and changes. 
They have no connection to the diabolical rites described 
by earlier demonologists. 


FURTHER READING: 

Baroja, Julio Caro. The World of the Witches. Chicago: Uni- 
versity of Chicago Press, 1975. 

Guazzo, Francesco-Maria. Compendium Maleficarum. Secau- 
cus, N.J.: University Books, 1974. 

Lea, Henry Charles. Materials toward a History of Witchcraft. 
Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1939. 
Monter, E. William. Witchcraft in France and Switzerland. 

New York: Cornell University Press, 1976. 
Remy, Nicholas. Demonolatry. Secaucus, N.J.: University 
Books, 1974. 


Russell, Jeffrey Burton. Witchcraft in the Middle Ages. Ithaca, 
N.Y., and London: Cornell University Press, 1972. 

Summers, Montague. The History of Witchcraft and Demonol- 
ogy. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, 1926. 


Sabnack (Sabanack, Sabnach, Salmac) FALLEN ANGEL 
and 43rd of the 72 SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. Sabnack is a mar- 
quis who appears as an armed soldier with a lion’s head, 
riding on a pale horse. He builds and fortifies towers, 
camps, and cities. Upon command, he torments people 
with wounds and maggot-filled putrid sores. He also 
gives good FAMILIARs at the command of an EXORCIST. He 
rules 50 LEGIONs of DEMONs. 


Salem witchcraft hysteria Trials and executions of 
accused witches in Salem, Massachusetts, from 1692 to 
1693. In all, 141 people were arrested as suspects, 19 were 
hanged, and one was pressed to death. The principal 
accusers were girls who claimed that witches in league 
with the DEVIL were attacking them and sending their 
DEMON FAMILIARs to attack them. Adding to the hysteria 
were widespread Puritan fears of demonic influences in 
New England, as well as political and social tensions. 

Tensions were already high between Salem Village and 
Salem Town when the witch panic erupted, starting in 
the home of the Reverend Samuel Parris, who had arrived 
to be the fourth minister in Salem Village in 1689. Before 
becoming a minister, Parris had worked as a merchant in 
Barbados; when he returned to Massachusetts, he took 
back a slave couple, John and Tituba Indian (Indian was 
probably not the couple’s surname but really a descrip- 
tion of their race). Tituba cared for Parris’ nine-year-old 
daughter, Elizabeth, called Betty, and his 11-year-old 
niece, Abigail Williams. Tituba probably regaled the girls 
with stories about her native Barbados, including magic, 
divination, and spell-casting. 

The girls were joined by other young girls in Salem 
Village—Susannah Sheldon, Elizabeth Booth, Elizabeth 
Hubbard, Mary Warren, Sarah Churchill, Mercy Lewis, 
and Ann Putnam, Jr. (Ann Putnam, Sr., was her mother). 
Dabbling in the occult was fun in the beginning, but it 
soon frightened them to the point of having fits. 

In January 1692, Betty Parris and others began hav- 
ing fits, crawling into holes, making strange noises, and 
contorting their bodies. It is impossible to know whether 
the girls feigned witchcraft to hide their involvement in 
Tituba’s magic, or whether they believed they were pos- 
sessed. In the climate of the times, they were declared by 
experts to be bewitched. 

Seventeenth-century Puritans believed in witchcraft 
as a cause of illness and death and thought that witches 
derived their power from the Devil. So, the next step was 
to find the witch or witches responsible, exterminate 
them, and cure the girls. After much prayer and exhorta- 
tion, the frightened girls, unable or unwilling to admit 
their own complicity, began to name names. 


220 Salem witchcraft hysteria 


Tituba made a witch cake out of rye meal mixed with 
the urine of the afflicted girls. Taken from a traditional 
English recipe, the cake was then fed to the dog. If the 
girls were bewitched, one of two things should happen: 
Either the dog would suffer torments, too, or he would 
identify the witch as her familiar. The Reverend Parris 
furiously accused Mary Sibley of “going to the Devil for 
help against the Devil,” lectured her on her sins, and pub- 
licly humiliated her in church. But the damage had been 
done: “The Devil hath been raised among us, and his rage 
is vehement and terrible,” said Parris, “and when he shall 
be silenced, the Lord only knows.” 

The first accused, or “cried out against,” were Tituba 
herself, Sarah Good, and Sarah Osborne. Warrants for 
their arrest were issued, and all three appeared before Sa- 
lem Town magistrates John Hathorne and Jonathan Cor- 
win on March 1. The girls, present at all interrogations, 
fell into fits and convulsions as each woman stood up for 
questioning, claiming that the woman's specter was roam- 
ing the room, biting them, pinching them, and often ap- 
pearing as a bird or other animal someplace in the room, 
usually on a particular beam of the ceiling. Hathorne and 
Corwin angrily demanded why the women were torment- 
ing the girls, but both Sarahs denied any wrongdoing. 

Tituba, however, beaten since the witch cake episode 
by Parris and afraid to reveal the winter story sessions 
and conjurings, confessed to being a witch. She said that 
a black dog—a favored form of the Devil—had threat- 
ened her and ordered her to hurt the girls, and that two 
large cats, one black and one red, had made her serve 
them. She claimed that she had ridden through the air on 
a pole to “witch meetings” (see SABBAT) with Good and 
Osborne, accompanied by the other women’s familiars: a 
yellow bird for Good, a winged creature with a woman’s 
head, and another hairy one with a long nose for Osborne. 
Tituba cried that Good and Osborne had forced her to at- 
tack Ann Putnam, Jr., with a knife just the night before, 
and Ann corroborated her statement by claiming that the 
witches had menaced her with a knife and tried to cut off 
her head. 

Tituba revealed that there was a coven of witches in 
Massachusetts, about six in number, led by a tall, white- 
haired man dressed all in black, and that she had seen 
him. During the next day’s questioning, Tituba claimed 
that the tall man had approached her many times, forcing 
her to sign his devil’s book in BLOOD, and that she had 
seen nine names already there. 

All three women were taken to prison in Boston, where 
Good and Osborne were locked in heavy iron chains to 
prevent their specters from traveling about and torment- 
ing the girls. Osborne, already frail, died there. Tituba 
joined the ranks of the accusers. 

Complicating the legal process of arrest and trial was 
the loss of Massachusetts Bay’s colonial charter. The col- 
ony was established as a Puritan colony in 1629 with self- 
rule, the English courts revoked the charter in 1684-85, 


Whe Wonders of the Arvifible World. 


OBSERVATIONS, 


As well Hiforical as Theahgical, upon the NATURE, the 
NUMBER Sade OPERATIONS ofthe 


DEVILS. 


Avconaany d wit! 

I, Some Accounts of the Grievaus Mcleftations, by DÆ- 
MONS and WITCHCRAFTS, which have lately 
annoy’d the Countrey ; and the T tials of fome eminent 
Mulef&ors Executed lupon occafion thereof: with feveral 
Remarkable Cariofities therein occurring. . 


IL Some Counfils, oe adae Improvementof the ter 
tible things, lately done, by the Unufual & Amaziny 
Range of EVIL, SPIRITS, in Our Neighbourhood x. 
the methods co prevent the Wrongs which thofe Evil 
Angels may intend againft all{orts al people among us - 
efpecially in Accufations of the Innocent.. 


III. Some Conjeétures upon the great EVENTS, likety 
to befall, the WORLD in General, and NEW ENe 
GLAND in Particular ; 3 as allo upon the Advances of 
the TIME, when we fhatifée BETTER DAYES. 


TV. A fhort Narrative ofa late Outrage committed b 
knot of WITCHES in Swédelend, very much Ri a 
bling, and fo far Explaining, Ther under which our parts- 
of America have laboured ! 

V. THE DEVIL DISCOVERED: In a Brief Difcourfe upon 
thofe TEMPTATIONS, which are the more Ordinary Devices 
of the oof the Wicked One 


iB y Cotten on Mathes. j 


Boson Printed by Benj. Harris for Sam, Philip 1693, 


A Te ren 


Title page of a witch-hunting pamphlet by Cotton Mather 
(AUTHOR'S COLLECTION) 


restricting the colony’s independence. Massachusetts Bay 
had had no authority to try capital cases, and for the first 
six months of the witch hunt, suspects merely languished 
in prison, usually in irons. 

The loss of Massachusetts’ charter represented to the 
Puritans a punishment from God: The colony had been 
established in covenant with God, and prayer and fasting 
and good lives would keep up Massachusetts’ end of the 
covenant and protect the colony from harm. Increasingly, 
the petty transgressions and factionalism of the colonists 
were viewed as sins against the covenant, and an outbreak 
of witchcraft seemed the ultimate retribution for the colo- 
ny’s evil ways. Published sermons by Cotton Mather and 
his father, Increase Mather, and the long-winded railings 
against witchcraft from the Reverend Parris’ pulpit every 
Sunday convinced the villagers that evil walked among 
them and must be rooted out at all cost. 

In May 1692, the new royal governor, Sir William 
Phips, established a Court of Oyer and Terminer (“to hear 
and determine”) to try the witches. By May’s end, approx- 


Samael 221 


imately 100 people sat in prison on the basis of the girls’ 
accusations. Bridget Bishop was first to be found guilty 
and was hanged on June 10. 

The court had to deal with the issue of spectral evi- 
dence. The problem was not whether the girls saw the 
specters, but whether a righteous God could allow the 
Devil to afflict the girls in the shape of an innocent per- 
son. If the Devil could not assume an innocent’s shape, 
the spectral evidence was invaluable against the accused. 
If he could, how else were the magistrates to tell who was 
guilty? The court asked for clerical opinions, and on June 
15 the ministers, led by Increase and Cotton Mather, cau- 
tioned the judges against placing too much emphasis on 
spectral evidence alone. Other tests, such as “falling at 
the sight,” in which victims collapse at a look from the 
witch, or the touch test, in which victims are relieved of 
their torments by touching the witch, were considered 
more reliable. Nevertheless, the ministers pushed for vig- 
orous prosecution, and the court ruled in favor of allow- 
ing spectral evidence. 

Of the executions, that of George Burroughs, formerly 
minister of Salem Village, stood out. Burroughs and sev- 
eral others were sent to be hanged at Gallows Hill on Au- 
gust 19. Before Burroughs died, he shocked the crowd by 
reciting the Lord’s Prayer perfectly, creating an uproar. 
Demands for Burroughs’ freedom were countered by the 
afflicted girls, who cried out that “the Black Man” had 
prompted Burroughs through his recital of the prayer. 
It was generally believed that even the Devil could not 
recite the Lord’s Prayer, and the crowd’s mood grew 
darker. A riot was thwarted by Cotton Mather, who told 
the crowd that Burroughs was not an ordained minister, 
and the Devil was known to change himself often into 
an angel of light if there were profit in doing so. When 
the crowd was calmed, Mather urged that the executions 
proceed, and they did. As before, the bodies were dumped 
into the shallow grave, leaving Burroughs’ hand and chin 
exposed. 

Samuel Wardwell, completely intimidated, confessed 
to signing the Devil’s book for a black man who prom- 
ised him riches. He later retracted his confession, but the 
court believed his earlier testimony. Wardwell choked on 
smoke from the hangman’s pipe during his execution, 
and the hysterical girls claimed it was the Devil prevent- 
ing him from finally confessing. 

Giles Corey, a wealthy landowner, was pressed to death 
September 19 for refusing to acknowledge the court’s right 
to try him. He was taken to a Salem field, staked to the 
ground, and covered with a large wooden plank. Stones 
were piled on the plank one at a time, until the weight was 
so great his tongue was forced out of his mouth. Sheriff 
George Corwin used his cane to poke it back into Corey’s 
mouth. Corey’s only response to the questions put to him 
was to ask for more weight. More stones were piled atop 
him, until finally he was crushed lifeless. Ann Putnam, 
Jr., saw his execution as divine justice, for she claimed 


that when Corey had signed on with the Devil, he had 
been promised never to die by hanging. 

The hysteria subsided when the girls began accus- 
ing more and more prominent people, including the wife 
of the governor, Lady Phips. On October 29, Governor 
Phips dissolved the Court of Oyer and Terminer, and 
spectral evidence became inadmissible. The trials came 
to an end. 

Eventually, the prosecutions were seen as one more 
trial of God’s covenant with New England—a terrible sin 
to be expiated. Those who had participated in the pro- 
ceedings—Cotton and Increase Mather, the other clergy, 
the magistrates, even the accusers—suffered illness and 
personal setbacks in the years after the hysteria. Samuel 
Parris was forced to leave his ministry in Salem. 

By 1703, the Massachusetts colonial legislature be- 
gan granting retroactive amnesties to the convicted and 
executed. Even more amazing, they authorized financial 
restitution to the victims and their families. In 1711, Mas- 
sachusetts Bay became one of the first governments ever 
voluntarily to compensate persons victimized by its own 
mistakes. 

In 1693, Increase Mather acknowledged in his Cases 
of Conscience Concerning Evil Spirits Personating Men that 
finding a witch was probably impossible, because the de- 
termination rested on the assumption that God had set 
humanly recognizable limits on SATAN, but Satan and 
God are beyond human comprehension. 

In 1957, the legislature of Massachusetts passed a res- 
olution exonerating some of the victims. Still, citizens felt 
they should do more. In 1992, a memorial was erected to 
all the victims of the 1692 trial. It was dedicated by Elie 
Weisel, a Nobel laureate known for his work concerning 
the victims of Nazi concentration camps. The memorial 
is located at the Old Burying Point in Salem and is a park- 
like square with stone benches engraved with the names 
of the victims. 


Saleos FALLEN ANGEL and 19th of the 72 SPIRITS OF 
SOLOMON. Saleos is a duke who appears as a gallant sol- 
dier wearing a duke’s crown and riding on a crocodile. 
He promotes love between men and women and speaks 
authoritatively about the creation of the world. He gov- 
erns 30 LEGIONs of DEMONS. 


salt See AMULET. 


Samael (Sammael) In Hebrew lore, the prince of 
DEMONs known as “the venom of God” and the execu- 
tioner of death sentences decreed by God. Samael is 
linked to ADRAMELECH, another demon of death. 

In rabbinical lore, Samael is a demon of a desert wind 
called Samiel or Simoon. He flies through the air like a 
bird, and the dark spots on the Moon are his excrement. 

Samael was the SERPENT who tempted Eve in the Gar- 
den of Paradise. He was an uncircumcised sexual partner 


222 Sariel 


and husband of LILITH and created with her a host of de- 
mon children, including a son, SARIEL. Fearful that Samael 
and Lilith would flood the world with their offspring, God 
castrated Samael. 

When God ordered the patriarch Abraham to kill his 
son, Isaac, Samael tried to persuade Abraham not to do 
it, in order to disobey God. When Abraham refused, Sa- 
mael went to Abraham’s wife, Sarah, and told her Isaac 
was sacrificed to God, the news of which killed her 
instantly. 

In kabbalistic lore, a Spanish kabbalist of the 15th cen- 
tury tried unsuccessfully to capture and control Samael. 
The kabbalist summoned him in the name of God and 
bound him by placing a crown upon his head that said 
“Thy Master’s Name Is Upon Thee.” But Samael tricked 
the kabbalist by convincing him to burn incense—an act 
of idolatry—in order to seal his victory. When the incense 
was burned, Samael was instantly freed. 

Samael is the chief of the 10 evil demons of the sephi- 
rot of the Tree of Life. 

See KABBALAH. 


FURTHER READING: 
Hyatt, Victoria, and Joseph W. Charles. The Book of Demons. 
New York: Simon & Schuster, 1974. 


Sariel (Sarakiel, Saraqael, Saraqel, Suruquel, Suriel, 
Uriel, Zerachiel) Good and FALLEN ANGEL. In the Eno- 
chian writings, Sariel is Saraqel, not the same as Uriel. 
Sariel rules Aries and is one of the nine ANGELs who pre- 
side over the summer solstice. As a fallen angel, he 
teaches the course of the Moon. 

In Hebrew lore, Sariel is the son of LILITH and SAMAEL 
(in some accounts, Ashmodai or ASMODEUS), the “Sword 
of Samael.” Sariel’s face flames like fire. In the middle of 
the night of Yom Kippur, the prayers and acts of sages and 
elders can call him forth. Sariel appears reluctantly, fly- 
ing through the air with 130 warriors, all of whom have 
flaming faces. Sariel gives enlightenment to all who call 
him forth. A scribe, Pifiron, carries all the secrets of the 
firmament that have been sealed by Sariel. These secrets 
are revealed to the elders. 

In the War of the Sons of Light and the Sons of Dark- 
ness (also known as the Triumph of God), one of the Qum- 
ran texts, Sariel is one of the four leaders of the forces of 
good. The human warriors are given exact instructions 
on who is to fight where, with weapons described care- 
fully. There are four subdivisions (towers), and each is 
to have the name of their archangel inscribed on their 
shield. Sariel is on the third tower. 


Satan The personification of evil and the head of all 
DEMONS. He is equated with the DEVIL. Satan is a Hebrew 
word meaning “adversary” and originally was not a 
proper name. Satan has evolved over the centuries to 
become the opposite and the opponent of God, the Prince 
of Darkness, and the subverter of souls. His goal is turn 


to human beings away from God so that they become 
condemned to eternal torment in HELL. 

Satan, as the proper name of a being, makes scant ap- 
pearance in religious texts prior to the New Testament. 
There is no mention of “the” Satan, or even “a” satan in 
Genesis. The SERPENT who tempts Eve is not equated with 
Satan. The Old Testament features a variety of satan ad- 
versaries, including an angel adversary in the story of 
Balaam and the ass in the book of Numbers; lying spirits; 
and, in the book of Job, a satan, who is one of the SONS 
OF Gop, and who walks the earth looking for people to 
test concerning their devotion to God. In the case of the 
pious and devout Job, God gives the satan permission to 
test him, and he suffers years of setbacks, disasters, and 
losses. A satan, as an accuser, is mentioned in the book of 
Zechariah. In 1 Chronicles, a satan stands up and chal- 
lenges David to take a census of the people. Psalm 109 
refers to wicked men as satans, and they should be pun- 
ished by Yahweh. 

In the New Testament, Satan becomes more personi- 
fied as a particular, single entity, and the terms Devil and 
Satan are used interchangeably. The Gospels tell of Sa- 
tan’s testing JESUS in the wilderness. In Mark, he is named 
as Satan; in Matthew and Luke, he is “the tester” or “the 
Devil.” In Luke, the Devil promises Jesus earthly glory if 
he will pay the proper homage. In Luke 10, Jesus com- 
ments that he has seen Satan “fallen like lightning from 
the sky,” a reference similar to the fall of LUCIFER in Isaiah 
that is probably a prophecy of a fall to come, not one that 
occurred in the past. Luke also states that Satan entered 
into Judas to induce him to betray Jesus. 

The Gospel of John makes references to the Devil. In 
the first, he is the “man-killer from the beginning” who 
does not stand for Truth, a reference often taken to refer to 
the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Jesus refers to him as 
the Ruler of the World. The Devil and Satan are both men- 
tioned in reference to entering into the heart of Judas. 

The Epistles refer to both the Devil and Satan. Paul 
refers to Satan by name as obstructing his efforts to spread 
the gospel, as a tester of men’s morals and faith, and as 
an agent of punishment for the wicked. In 2 Corinthians 
2.10-11, Paul indicates that Satan has his own designs on 
the world, and that forgiveness will outwit Satan. In the 
same letter, Paul urges people to be on guard against Sa- 
tan, who can disguise himself as an angel of light. He also 
says that an “angel of Satan” has been sent to batter him, 
to prevent him from becoming too puffed up with his own 
pride. Paul did not see Satan as marshaling an army of 
demons; rather, he said that demons were the lifeless idols 
of the pagans. In Ephesians, Paul gives advice for spiritual 
armaments against Satan and warns that committing sins 
will make room for him. In Hebrews, Satan has the power 
of death, and it is Christ’s mission to overcome him. 

In Revelation, Satan is synonymous with the dragon 
and serpent. He tests people, battles angels, and is pun- 
ished and bound. 


Satan 223 


The early church fathers did more to cement the iden- 
tity of Satan with the Devil and the tempter in the Gar- 
den of Eden, and with Lucifer. In the second century, 
Justin Martyr was the first to identify Satan with the 
serpent. He said the fall of Satan at the hands of Christ 
was predicted in Isaiah in the description of the fall of 
Lucifer. Justin also linked Satan with the Sons of God, or 
WATCHERS, and associated the powers and principalities 
(two orders of angels) of the Epistles with pagan gods 
and demons. 

Other church fathers, such as Theophilus and Tertul- 
lian, also placed Satan as tempter in the Garden. Accord- 
ing to Cyprian, the Devil was once a beloved and intimate 
angel of God, who perished at the beginning of the world 
out of envy over humanity. In losing his own immortal- 
ity, he took away the immortality of humans. Irenaeus 
echoed this view. 

Origen (ca. 185-250) was the first church father to re- 
interpret Satan within the context of Lucifer. 

The Life of Adam and Eve, a pseudepigraphal text 
written around 100 A.D., states that the angel Satan was 
ordered by the archangel Michael to bow down and wor- 
ship Adam, made in the image of God, but he refused 
because Adam was inferior, saying that Adam ought to 
worship him. The angels under Satan also refused, and 


Satan and Jesus (AUTHOR'S COLLECTION) 


God cast them all out of heaven. Muhammad was in- 
fluenced by this text and retells the story in the Qur'an 
10 times; the Devil is named IBLIS, who is head of the 
DJINN. 

The idea that Satan was cast down because of his refusal 
to worship Adam did not take hold in Christianity, how- 
ever. Satan is jealous of humans, but only after his fall. 

Satan later became identified with gods of paganism. 
The idea was developed that Satan had rights over hu- 
manity and the world because of the sin of Adam and 
Eve; redemption was made through Christ, who paid off 
the debt with his own life. According to St. Augustine, 
Adam’s sin meant that the whole of humanity fell under 
the servitude of Satan. 

In the Middle Ages, legends and hagiographies of the 
saints were popular, offering many stories of saints best- 
ing the Satan and his demons and curing DEMONIACs of 
their POSSESSION. 

St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the greatest and most in- 
fluential theologians of the church, saw only one Devil, 
Satan, and never referred to “devils” in the plural unless 
he was quoting other writers. Aquinas said that the only 
two sins angels can commit are pride and envy, for all 
other sins are related to physical appetites. According 
to Aquinas, demons have no possibility of redemption 
and can only go to hell (where they torment the dead) or 
Smoggy Air (where they torment the living). He said hu- 
man beings deserved to be turned over to Satan because 
of Adam’s sin. 

At some point—the origins are unclear—Satan be- 
came the ruler of hell and the chief tormenter of souls of 
the dead. From the 16th century on, his primary role was 
tempter of humanity. 

The artist William Blake saw Satan as the imagina- 
tion, a view also held in Sufism. 

Even by the 18th century, Satan seemed an outdated 
superstition to some theologians, among them the influ- 
ential Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher (1768-1834), a minis- 
ter in the Reformed Church. The concept of the Devil was 
unenlightened, he argued, pointing out that Jesus and the 
disciples made few direct references to Satan. Schleier- 
macher argued that Satan does not exist and is used as a 
convenient metaphor for evil. 

Since the mid-20th century, belief in Satan has risen, 
in part the result of the rise of fundamentalism, and of 
interest in demonic POSSESSION. 


FURTHER READING: 

Kelly, Henry Ansgar. A Biography of Satan. New York: Cam- 
bridge University Press, 2006. 

Pagels, Elaine. The Origin of Satan. New York: Random 
House, 1995. 

Russell, Jeffrey Burton. Mephistopheles: The Devil in the Mod- 
ern World. Ithaca, N.Y., and London: Cornell University 
Press, 1986. 

. Satan: The Early Christian Tradition. Ithaca, N.Y., 

and London: Cornell University Press, 1981. 


224 Satanael 


Satanael (Satanail) FALLEN ANGEL. Satanael is a name 
for SATAN or the DEVIL. 


Satanael in Bogomilism 

In Bogomilism, a Gnostic dualistic sect that flourished 
in Europe in the 10th through 15th centuries, Satanael 
is the older of two sons of God; the other is Christ. Sa- 
tanael existed before Christ and was created good along 
with all the other ANGELs. He was held in the highest 
esteem and sat at the right hand of God as his steward. 
Soon, however, he grew dissatisfied with his station 
and rebelled. He persuaded other angels to join him, 
promising them freedom from boring liturgical duties. 
God reacted by casting them all out of heaven. Satanael 
wandered in the void and then decided to make a new 
world for himself—a second heaven over which he could 
become like a second God. The universe became this 
second heaven. 

Satanael created the physical world, with all of its 
misery and suffering. He inspired the Old Testament. He 
created Adam out of earth and water. But Adam was de- 
fective, and he had life trickling out of his right foot and 
forefinger in the shape of a SERPENT. Satanael breathed 
spirit into Adam, but it trickled out and became the ser- 
pent. Satanael appealed to God for help, promising that 
God would be able to help govern humankind. God 
agreed because he wanted to replenish the ranks of angels 
depleted by the Fall. 

Another version of the story says that Satanael could 
not animate Adam, and Adam lay lifeless for 300 years. 
Satanael wandered about the world, eating unclean ani- 
mals. He returned to Adam’s body and vomited his food 
into his mouth. Thus, the soul is imprisoned in a defiled 
and corrupt physical house. 

After Adam was created, Satanael created Eve with 
God's help. He assumed the form of a serpent and had 
sexual intercourse with Eve with his tail, begetting the 
twins Cain and his sister Calomena (Abel was conceived 
by Adam and Eve). God punished Satanael for defiling 
Eve by making him dark and ugly and taking away his 
power to create and his divine form. God left Satanael to 
have dominion over the world for seven ages. 

Satanael gave the law to Moses in order to retain his 
control. He keeps humankind oppressed and strives to 
make people worship him instead of the true God. Hu- 
manity was unable to rise to the ranks of angels as God 
intended. 

After 5,500 years, God sent Christ to Earth to tell peo- 
ple about their true condition and to help them unite with 
him. Christ/Michael defeated Satanael and took his place 
at the right hand of God, sending him out of heaven for a 
second time. He lost the -el suffix on his name, becoming 
Satan. 

The Bogomils said the world of matter must be re- 
jected and despised. They rejected the sacraments of the 
church and the cross, for they maintained that Christ 
never died on the cross. Miracles and the acts of saints are 


deceits by the Devil. The only salvation is gained through 
asceticism. 

The Bogomils believed that Satan will be loose in 
the world at the end of time but will be defeated by 
Christ/Michael. 


Satanail in Enoch 

In 2 Enoch, Satanail is an archangel and the leader of 
the WATCHERS. He is cast from heaven on the second 
day, the day in which God creates all angels from a 
great fire he cuts off from the rock (foundation) of the 
heavens: 


But one under the order of the archangels deviated, 
together with the division that was under his authority. 
He thought up the impossible idea that he might place 
his throne higher in the clouds which are above the 
earth, and that he might become equal to my power. 

And I hurled him from out of the height, together 
with his angels. And he was flying around in the air, 
ceaselessly, above the Bottomless. (29:4-5) 


Satanail is imprisoned in the fifth heaven along with 
the Watchers and NEPHILIM. 


FURTHER READING: 

Russell, Jeffrey Burton. Lucifer: The Devil in the Middle Ages. 
Ithaca, N.Y., and London: Cornell University Press, 1984. 

The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vols. 1 & 2. Edited by 
James H. Charlesworth. 1983. Reprint, New York: Dou- 
bleday, 1985. 


satanism Devotion to SATAN, the DEVIL, or forces of 
darkness. Satanism is not structured as a single, unified 
organization or movement. Some forms of it are religious 
and involve worship of Satan, while other forms involve 
high magic or are philosophies and lifestyle choices. 

As early as the seventh century, the Catholic Church 
was condemning priests who subverted the magical pow- 
ers of the Holy Mass for evil purposes, a policy that can 
be seen as a precursor to the development of ideas about 
satanism. 

Beliefs about satanism as Devil worship solidified 
during the Inquisition, when witch hunters and demo- 
nologists promoted the ideas that witches worshipped 
the Devil and were in PACTs with him to wreak havoc in 
the world. Enemies of the Christian Church, such as the 
Order of the Knights Templar and rival religious sects, 
were accused of Devil worship and witchcraft, crimes of 
heresy. Many of the accused confessed under the duress 
of severe torture. 

The extent of genuine satanism is not known. There 
is little evidence of it as an organized activity prior to the 
17th century, when it became fashionable to participate in 
BLACK Masses. The most notorious of these took place in 
France during the reign of Louis XIV under the direction 
of the king’s mistress, Madame de Montespan. The rituals 
were led by an occultist named La Voisin and a 67-year- 
old libertine priest, the abbé Guiborg. 


satanism 225 


There is no reliable evidence of satanic activity in the 
18th century. In England, the HELL-FIRE CLUB, a society 
founded by Sir Francis Dashwood (1708-81), often de- 
scribed as satanic, was little more than a club for young 
men to indulge in drinking, sexual play with women 
called “nuns,” and outrageous behavior. The club, or the 
“Medmenham Monks,” as they called themselves, met 
regularly between 1750 and 1762 in Dashwood’s home, 
Medmenham Abbey. They were said to conduct Black 
Masses, but it is doubtful that these were serious satanic 
activities. Similar groups were the Brimstone Boys and 
Blue Blazers of Ireland. 

One of the most famous satanists of the 19th century 
was Abbé Boullan of France, who became the head of an 
offshoot of the Church of Carmel and allegedly practiced 
black magic and infant sacrifice. The Church of Carmel 
was formed by Eugene Vintras, the foreman of a card- 
board box factory in Tilly-sur-Seule. In 1839, Vintras said 
he received a letter from the archangel Michael, followed 
by visions of the archangel, the Holy Ghost, St. Joseph, 
and the Virgin Mary. He was informed that he was the 
reincarnated prophet Elijah, and he was to found a new 
religious order and proclaim the coming of the age of the 
Holy Ghost. The true king of France, he was told, was a 
man named Charles Naundorf. 

Vintras went about the countryside preaching this 
news and acquiring followers, including priests. Masses 
were celebrated that included visions of empty chal- 
ices filled with blood and bloodstains on the Eucharist. 
By 1848, the Church of Carmel, as the movement was 
known, was condemned by the pope. In 1851, Vintras 
was accused by a former disciple of conducting Black 
Masses in the nude, homosexuality, and masturbating 
while praying at the altar. 

Shortly before his death in 1875, Vintras befriended 
Boullan, who formed a splinter group of the Church of 
Carmel upon Vintras’ death. He ran the group for 18 
years, until his death, outwardly maintaining pious prac- 
tices, but secretly conducting satanic rituals. 

Boullan seems to have been obsessed with satanism 
and evil since age 29, when he took a nun named Adèle 
Chevalier as his mistress. Chevalier left her convent, 
bore two bastard children, and founded with Boullan 
the Society for the Reparation of Souls. Boullan special- 
ized in exorcising DEMONs by unconventional means, 
such as feeding possessed victims a mixture of human 
excrement and the Eucharist. He also performed Black 
Masses. On January 8, 1860, he and Chevalier reportedly 
conducted a Black Mass in which they sacrificed one of 
their children. 

By the time Boullan met Vintras, Boullan was claiming 
to be the reincarnated St. John the Baptist. He taught his 
followers sexual techniques and said the original sin of 
Adam and Eve could be redeemed by sex with incubi and 
succubi. He and his followers also were said to copulate 
with the spirits of the dead, including Anthony the Great. 


Boullan’s group was infiltrated by two Rosicrucians, 
Oswald Wirth and Stanislas de Guaita, who wrote an 
exposé, The Temple of Satan. Supposedly Boullan and 
de Guaita engaged in magical warfare. Boullan and his 
friend, the novelist J. K. Huysmans, claimed to be at- 
tacked by demons. When Boullan collapsed and died of 
a heart attack on January 3, 1893, Huysmans believed it 
due to an evil spell from de Guaita and said so in print. De 
Guaita challenged him to a duel, but Huysmans declined 
and apologized. 

In his novel, La-bas (Down There), Huysmans included 
a Black Mass, which he said was based on his observa- 
tions of one conducted by a satanic group in Paris, operat- 
ing in the late 19th century. He said the mass was recited 
backward, the crucifix was upside down, the Eucharist 
was defiled, and the rites ended in a sexual orgy. 

By the early 20th century, ALEISTER CROWLEY was 
thought to be involved in satanism. Although he called 
himself “the Beast”; used Life, Love, and Light to describe 
Satan; and once baptized and crucified a toad as JESUS, he 
was not a satanist, but a magician and occultist. 


Modern Satanism 

The largest movement of modern satanism began in the 
1960s, in the United States, led by Anton Szandor LaVey, 
a shrewd, intelligent man with a charismatic persona 
and an imposing appearance. In 1966, LaVey founded the 
Church of Satan in San Francisco, the activities of which 
became the object of great media attention. 

Born April 11, 1930, in Chicago, LaVey claimed an an- 
cestry of Alsatian, Georgian, and Romanian blood, includ- 
ing a Gypsy grandmother from Transylvania. As a child, 
he studied music and became interested in the occult. He 
learned to play the piano at 10, and, at 15, became an obo- 
ist for the San Francisco Ballet Symphony Orchestra. He 
dropped out of high school in his junior year and joined 
the Clyde Beatty Circus as a cage boy. He had a gift for 
working with the big cats and became assistant trainer. It 
was in the circus, working with lions, he later said, that 
he learned about inner power and magic. On the side, he 
investigated haunted houses. At 18, he left the circus and 
joined a carnival, as a magician’s assistant and a calliope 
player. In 1948, he met Marilyn Monroe and played as her 
accompanist. 

He married his first wife, Carole, in 1951; they had 
one daughter, Karla. He studied criminology at City 
College in San Francisco and spent three years as a 
crime photographer with the San Francisco Police De- 
partment. Disgusted with the violence he saw, he quit 
and returned to playing the organ in nightclubs and 
theaters. He began holding classes on occult subjects. 
From these classes evolved a Magic Circle, which met to 
perform rituals LaVey had devised or discovered from 
historical sources on the Knights Templar, Hell-Fire 
Club, Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and Aleis- 
ter Crowley. LaVey apparently enjoyed the theatrics of 
the rituals; he dressed in a scarlet-lined cape and kept 


226 satanism 


skulls and other odd objects about. Magic Circle mem- 
bers included the actress Jayne Mansfield and the film- 
maker Kenneth Anger. 

LaVey divorced Carole in 1960 and married Diane, 17, 
who worked as an usher at his Friday night occult ses- 
sions. They had a daughter, Zeena. From 1960 to 1966, 
he developed his elitist satanic philosophy. He viewed the 
Devil as a dark force hidden in nature, ruling earthly af- 
fairs. Humans’ true nature is one of lust, pride, hedonism, 
and willfulness, attributes that enable the advancement 
of civilization. Flesh should not be denied, but celebrated. 
Individuals who stand in one’s way of achieving what one 
wants should be cursed. 

On Walpurgisnacht (April 30) in 1966, LaVey shaved 
his head and announced the founding of the Church of 
Satan. He shrewdly recognized the shock value in using 
the term church for worshipping the Devil and recognized 
people’s innate need for ritual, ceremony, and pageantry. 
He performed satanic baptisms, weddings, and funerals, 
all of which received widespread media coverage. He used 
a nude woman (partially covered by a leopard skin) as 
an altar. His wife, Diane, became high priestess of the 
church. He baptized Zeena. Karla began giving lectures 
on satanism at universities and colleges. 

LaVey preached antiestablishmentarianism, _ self- 
indulgence, all forms of gratification, and vengeance. En- 
emies were to be hated and smashed. Sex was exalted. He 
opposed the use of drugs, saying they were escapist and 
unnecessary to achieving natural highs. He also deplored 
the use of black magic in criminal activity. He did not 
include a Black Mass in his rituals, because he considered 
it outdated. 

The Church of Satan organized into grottoes. A re- 
versed pentacle containing a goat’s head, called the Ba- 
phomet, was chosen as the symbol. LaVey used Enochian 
as the magical language for rituals and espoused the Eno- 
chian Keys used by Crowley. 

LaVey composed Nine Satanic Statements, Eleven Sa- 
tanic Rules of the Earth, and Nine Satanic Sins. 

The following are the Nine Satanic Statements: 


1. Satan represents indulgence instead of abstinence. 

2. Satan represents vital existence instead of spiritual 
pipe dreams. 

3. Satan represents undefiled wisdom instead of hyp- 
ocritical self-deceit. 

4. Satan represents kindness to those who deserve it 
instead of love wasted on ingrates. 

5. Satan represents vengeance instead of turning the 
other cheek. 

6. Satan represents responsibility to the responsible 
instead of concern for psychic vampires. 

7. Satan represents man as just another animal— 
sometimes better, more often worse than those 
that walk on all fours—who, because of his 
“divine spiritual and intellectual development,” 
has become the most vicious animal of all. 


8. Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they all 
lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification. 

9. Satan has been the best friend the church has ever 
had, as he has kept it in business all these years. 


The following are the Eleven Satanic Rules of the 
Earth: 


1. Do not give opinions or advice unless you are 
asked. 

2. Do not tell your troubles to others unless you are 
sure they want to hear them. 

3. When in anothers lair, show him respect or else 
do not go there. 

4. If a guest in your lair annoys you, treat him cru- 
elly and without mercy. 

5. Do not make sexual advances unless you are given 
the mating signal. 

6. Do not take that which does not belong to you 
unless it is a burden to the other person and he 
cries out to be relieved. 

7. Acknowledge the power of magic if you have 
employed it successfully to obtain your desires. If 
you deny the power of magic after having called 
upon it with success, you will lose all you have 
obtained. 

8. Do not complain about anything to which you 
need not subject yourself. 

9. Do not harm little children. 

10. Do not kill nonhuman animals unless you are 
attacked or for your food. 

11. When walking in open territory, bother no one. If 
someone bothers you, ask him to stop. If he does 
not stop, destroy him. 


The Nine Satanic Sins are the following: 


Stupidity 

Pretentiousness 

Solipsism 

Self-deceit 

Herd conformity 

Lack of perspective 
Forgetfulness of past orthodoxies 
Counterproductive pride 

Lack of aesthetics 


SAO. St WN E 


The church attracted an international following. Most 
were middle-class and included occultists, celebrities, thrill 
seekers, the curious, racists, and political right wingers. At 
its peak, it was said to have about 25,000 members (years 
later, former members said the figures were exaggerated). 

The film director Roman Polanski hired LaVey for his 
film version of Ira Levin’s novel of Devil worshippers, 
ROSEMARY’S BABY, released in 1968. LaVey portrayed Satan 
and advised Polanski on satanic ritual details. 

LaVey turned many of his organizational activities 
over to others in the church and began writing books. 
The Satanic Bible was published in 1969, followed by The 


Scot, Regindd 227 


Satanic Rituals in 1972. A third book, The Compleat Witch, 
was published in Europe. 

In 1975, the church lost members, who left to form a 
new satanic organization, the Temple of Set. The Church 
of Satan reorganized as a secret society and dissolved 
its grottoes. LaVey retired from the scene and went into 
seclusion. He reappeared in the media in the 1990s and 
published another book, The Devil’s Notebook, in 1992. 
He died on October 30, 1997, at age 67, having suffered 
from heart problems for years. The “Black House” in San 
Francisco where he founded the church was torn down to 
make way for an apartment complex. A new Black House 
was established in a secret location. 

The Church of Satan is presently run by Peter Gilmore. 
Members do not all believe in Satan, demons, or ANGELS. 
As do the principles espoused by LaVey, the church em- 
phasizes personal freedom and swift action against per- 
sistent enemies. 

Key founders of the Temple of Set were Michael A. 
Aquino, Lilith Sinclair (Aquino’s wife), and Betty Ford. 
It is an initiatory society devoted to the Egyptian god Set 
(also known as Seth), whom members do not consider 
evil, but the prototype of Satan. According to the temple, 
Set has over the millennia altered human genetics in or- 
der to create people of superior intelligence for the next 
level of evolution. Three major phases have occurred: the 
first in 1904, when Crowley received The Book of the Law, 
dictated via mediumship by the spirit Atwass; the second 
in 1966, when the Church of Satan was formed; and the 
third in 1975, when the Temple of Set was formed. 

In his writings, Aquino has prophesied an apocalypse 
in which only the “elect,” or members of the Temple of 
Set, will survive. Aquino has an interest in Nazi Pagan 
rituals practiced during World War II but has stated he 
does not sympathize with Nazi politics. 

Other satanic groups have formed; some become de- 
funct after a period of activity. The extent of satanism is 
impossible to gauge, because of the secrecy of many or- 
ganizations. There is evidence of “family traditions” of 
satanism, passed down from one generation to another. 


FURTHER READING: 

Barton, Blanche. The Church of Satan. New York: Hell's 
Kitchen Productions, 1990. 

. The Secret Life of a Satanist: The Authorized Biogra- 
phy of Anton LaVey. Los Angeles: Feral House, 1990. 

LaVey, Anton Szandor. The Satanic Bible. New York: Avon 
Books, 1969. 


Scepter DEMON who appears in the form of a gigantic 
dog and who causes quartan fever. 

In The Testament of Solomon, Scepter tells King SOLO- 
MON that before the king’s time he was a man, not a dog, 
and he accomplished many unlawful deeds in the world. 
He is so strong that he restrains the stars of heaven, and 
he is planning many more evil deeds. He deceives men 
who follow his star closely and leads them into stupid- 


ity. He also subdues the hearts (thoughts) of men through 
their throats and destroys them. 

Solomon asks Scepter why he is so prosperous. The 
demon tells him to turn over his manservant, whom he 
will spirit off to a place in the mountains where he will be 
shown an emerald stone. The stone will adorn Solomon’s 
temple. 

Solomon agrees, but he gives his servant his magical 
ring, with which he can quell the demon. The servant re- 
trieves the emerald, which is shaped like a leek. He uses 
the ring to bind Scepter. Solomon extracts 200 shekels 
from the stone and has it carried about day and night as a 
light for the artisans. Then he locks it up. He commands 
Scepter and the headless demon MURDER to cut marble 
for the temple. 

Scepter is thwarted by the ANGEL Briathos. 


FURTHER READING: 

The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vols. 1 & 2. Edited by 
James H. Charlesworth. 1983. Reprint, New York: Dou- 
bleday, 1985. 


scorpion-people Assyrian and Babylonian supernatu- 
ral, semidivine beings who protect against evil DEMONs. 
The scorpion-people have a human body and head with a 
beard, the hindquarters and talons of birds, a snake- 
headed penis, and a scorpion’s tail. They wear a horned 
cap that denotes divinity. They are powerful protectors, 
and figurines of them were used in homes and buildings. 


Scot, Reginald (ca. 1538-1599) English writer who 
was one of the few outspoken critics of witch hunts. Regi- 
nald Scot was openly derisive of prevailing beliefs that 
witches were servants of the DEVIL and committed abom- 
inable acts in his name. He was skeptical of the ability of 
DEMONS and spirits to interfere in the lives of the living. 

Scot was not a DEMONOLOGIST, clergyman, or lawyer, 
but rather an outraged citizen. He was born in or around 
1538 in Kent. His father was Richard Scot, the youngest of 
three sons of Sir John Scot, a wealthy landowner. Young 
Scot was sent to Oxford at age 17, but he left without earn- 
ing a degree and returned to Kent, settling in Smeeth. 
He worked as a subsidies collector for the government, 
served a year in Parliament, and tended to hop gardening. 
He was supported by a wealthy cousin, Sir Thomas Scot, 
whose estate he managed. 

He married twice. His first wife was Jane Cobbe, whom 
he married on October 11, 1568. They had one daughter, 
Elizabeth. Jane died (the date is unknown), and Scot mar- 
ried a widow named Alice, who had a daughter, Marie, by 
her first marriage. 

Scot spent much of his time reading, and he espe- 
cially enjoyed obscure topics such as the occult and super- 
stitions. On his own, Scot studied law, superstitions, 
folklore, and the contemporary literature of antiwitch de- 
monologists. He grew increasingly angry at the tortures 
and executions of witches, who in his view were innocent 


228 seal 


people falsely accused. He wrote a refutation of the asser- 
tions of the witch hunters, The Discoverie of Witchcraft, 
and published it in 1584, during a time of intense anti- 
witch activity. His opening statement reflects his disdain 
for witch hunters: “The fables of Witchcraft have taken so 
fast hold and deep root in the heart of man, that few or 
none can (nowadays) with patience endure the hand and 
correction of God.” Many of his comments were directed 
against the demonologist Jean Bodin and the MALLEUS 
MALEFICARUM, the leading inquisitors’ handbook, written 
by two Dominican priests. 

In composing Discoverie, Scot drew upon his knowl- 
edge of superstition, the law, and literature. He also drew 
upon the writings of numerous scholars, theologians, and 
experts in various fields, even those who disagreed with 
his own views. He was influenced by the writings of Jo- 
HANN WEYER, a German physician who also was a strong 
opponent of the witch hunts. However, unlike Weyer, 
who at least believed in the supernatural, Scot denied the 
supernatural altogether. 

Scot defined four categories of witches: innocents 
who were falsely accused; deluded people who imagined 
themselves to be in PACTs with the Devil; evil people who 
did harm others, but not by SORCERY; and frauds and im- 
posters who pretended to cast spells and make prophe- 
cies. Storms and crop failures were not caused by witches, 
but by God, he said. 

Scot believed that it is not possible for a pact to be 
made between a living person and a spirit. “Confessions” 
of pacts were made under torture and in desperate at- 
tempts to avoid execution. There is nothing about satanic 
pacts in the Bible, he observed. 

In particular, Scot believed that the appearances of 
demons and spirits were delusions caused by mental 
disorders, and that sexual encounters with incubi were 
a “natural disease.” Stories of incubi covered up all-too- 
human lecheries, he said. Spirits were incapable of physi- 
cal lust. Some experiences of incubi were due to night- 
mares, or “the mare,” a physical condition caused by a 
thick vapor that arose from the “crudity and rawness” of 
the stomach and rose to the brain, oppressing it. Again, 
he cited a lack of references in Scripture to prove the ex- 
istence of the INCUBUS and SUCCUBUS. 

Scot derided the use of CHARMs against the Devil, 
witches, and evil and pointed out that there is no evi- 
dence that JESUS or the apostles ever had need of holy wa- 
ter, inscriptions and Bible verses on parchment, objects 
hung about the neck or in a house, and so forth, in order 
to drive away evil. 

One section of Discoverie delves into an inventory of 
demons, their appearances and duties, and how they are 
conjured and commanded through the use of magical 
ritual. Detailed instructions are given for how to cap- 
ture a demon in a crystal stone for the purpose of doing 
one’s bidding. Scot called these magical activities “noto- 
rious blasphemy” and “blind superstitious ceremonies” 


that were nothing but falsehood. Only the gullible and 
credulous believe the lies of conjurors and necroman- 
cers who claim they could summon demons out of HELL, 
he said. He questioned the difference between magical 
conjurations and the “popish conjurations” of Catholic 
ritual, as well as the difference between conjurations 
and charms. According to the church, charms were 
lawful because they contained nothing superstitious, 
whereas magical conjurations were said to be based on 
false superstition. 

Scot was not alone in his condemnation of the witch 
persecutions; his writing was part of a continuing skepti- 
cism about witchcraft that persisted in England. Despite 
its lack of originality, Discoverie was well received by the 
clergy in England. King JAMES VI of Scotland (who be- 
came James I of England) was violently opposed to it and 
ordered copies to be burned. He wrote his own refutation, 
Daemonologie. 

Montague Summers described Scot as a “myopic 
squireen” who was “utterly without imagination, a very 
dull, narrow, and ineffective little soul.” 

Scot died in Smeeth on October 8, 1599. There are 
different accounts of where he was buried. According to 
one, he was interred in a family plot in the churchyard 
at Smeeth; in another, he was buried beside Sir Thomas 
Scot’s tomb in Brabourne Church. 


FURTHER READING: 
Scot, Reginald. The Discoverie of Witchcraft. Mineola, N.Y.: 
Dover Publications, 1989. 


seal In MAGIC, a symbol unique to a DEMON, ANGEL, or 
other occult force, used in rituals such as the summon- 
ing of specific spirits. Seals are also called sigils, a term 
derived from the Latin word for seal, sigillum. 

Seals can be likened to a form of shorthand that en- 
able a magician to set in motion forces or summon spir- 
its into awareness and control them. Seals alone do not 
call forth spirits, however, but serve as a physical focus 
through which the practitioner achieves a desired state of 
mind. Their primary purpose is to stimulate the imagina- 
tion of the magician in accordance with the purpose of a 
ritual. A seal is given energy via visualization, chanting, 
and intensity of will and then is “sent.” The correct use 
of seals is one of the factors that determine the success of 
the ritual. According to the Lemegeton, one of the princi- 
pal GRIMOIRES, a seal must be worn on the breast; other- 
wise, the spirit will not obey. 

Seals of demons are symbols. Other seals are created 
from the numbers in magic squares. They also can be 
symbols, astrological signs, runes, and even designs cre- 
ated by a magician. They can contain the entire essence of 
a spell or the magical properties of celestial forces, spirits, 
or deities. 


Seere One of the FALLEN ANGELS and 70th of the 72 
SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. Seere is a prince under Amaymon, 


serpent 229 


the King of the East. He appears as a beautiful man rid- 
ing a strong winged horse. He makes things happen 
instantly, transports himself anywhere instantly, and 
discovers all thefts. Seere is good-natured, will follow 
commands, and is indifferent to good or bad. He governs 
26 LEGIONs of DEMONS. 


Sej See DRUJ. 


Semyaza (Semiaza, Semjaza, Shemhazi, Shamayza, 
Shemyaza) A leader of the FALLEN ANGELS, one of the 
SONS OF GOD, or WATCHERS, who cohabit with women. 
Semyaza probably means “meaning the name of Azza, or 
Uzza,” which in turn means “strength.” 

According to the Zohar, Semyaza cohabits with one of 
Eve’s daughters and produces two sons, Hiwa and Hiya, 
who eat every day 1,000 each of camels, horses, and oxen. 
As punishment for his sins, he hangs upside down in 
the constellation Orion, suspended between heaven and 
Earth. 

In 1 Enoch, he is identified as the leader of the Watch- 
ers and is warned of their punishment by the archangel 
Michael. 


serpent Ancient symbol of wisdom and fertility, but in 
Christianity turned into a symbol of evil, the DEVIL, and 
SATAN. The serpent is a favorite shape-shifted form of the 
Devil and the DJINN. 

The serpent is one of the oldest, most universal, and 
most revered symbols in mythology. Although negative 
associations exist, the serpent is predominantly associ- 
ated with wisdom, enlightenment, immortality, healing, 
renewal, magic, and the guardianship of hidden treasure. 
Numerous deities have been associated with serpents. The 
Aztecs’ Quetzacoatl is the “Plumed Serpent” and is proph- 
esied to return as a great teacher. The “Rainbow Serpent” 
in Australian mythology is a creator deity. Asklepios, the 
Greek god of healing, has a totemic serpent entwined on 
a staff. Hermes, the Greek god of learning and magic, car- 
ries a caduceus wand entwined by two serpents. Athena, 
the Greek goddess of wisdom, has a serpent on her shield. 
The Nagas of Vedic lore are human/serpent beings who 
possess a high level of wisdom. In yoga, the kundalini, 
the energy of enlightenment, is likened to a coiled ser- 
pent that sleeps at the base of the spine and rises to the 
crown of the head when awakened by spiritual study and 
discipline. 


Serpent in the Bible 
The book of Genesis tells how a clever talking serpent 
convinces Eve to eat forbidden fruit from the Tree of 
Knowledge. She gives the fruit also to Adam. Angry, God 
casts them out of the Garden of Eden and condemns the 
serpent to travel upon its belly. 

The appearance of the biblical serpent is controversial. 
Genesis does not give an exact description. Some illustra- 
tions of the serpent, in Eden, depict a reptilian-humanoid 


being. The serpent talks to Eve and exhibits intelligence 
and wile. In some older Jewish legends, the Genesis ser- 
pent is a tall, extremely intelligent creature with human 
arms and legs. He was created by God to be king of all 
creatures and eat the same food as humans. But his envy 
of humans, which was the evil within him, caused him to 
bring about the Fall. 

Genesis does not equate the serpent with the Devil or 
Satan; the associations were made later by early church 
fathers, such as Justin Martyr and Tertullian. The serpent 
later symbolized lies, treachery, and evil, serving as the 
inspiration for the forked tongue and serpent-tailed rep- 
resentations of the Devil. 

In Christian art and literature, the Devil took on 
snakelike and reptilian features, such as scaly skin, a 
forked tongue, and a long tail. Dragons also became sym- 
bols of evil and the Devil. 

At the opposite end, the highest-ranking order of AN- 
GELs, the seraphim, have serpent associations. Their name 
is thought to be derived from the Hebrew verb saraf, which 
means to “burn,” “incinerate,” or “destroy” and probably 
refers to the ability of seraphim to destroy by burning. 

The seraphim may have evolved from the uraeus, 
the gold serpent (specifically a cobra) worn by Egyp- 
tian pharaohs on their foreheads. Uraei without wings 
and with two or four wings were depicted in iconogra- 
phy throughout the Near East. They protected by spitting 
their poison or fire. The seraphim who became angels in 
lore perhaps originally had serpent forms with human 
characteristics. 

In the Old Testament, the term saraf is applied to fiery 
serpents. Numbers 21:6-8 refers to fiery serpents sent by 
the Lord to bite and kill sinning Israelites. After Moses 
prayed for forgiveness, he was instructed to set a fiery 
serpent atop a pole. Whoever was bitten by it, when he 
looked upon it, would live. Moses made a bronze serpent, 
which may have been a representation of a seraph angel. 
Deuteronomy 8:15 refers to the “fiery serpents” and scor- 
pions in the land of Egypt. 

3 Enoch, one of the most important works in the 
pseudepigrapha, says that the seraphim are so named be- 
cause they burn the tablets of Satan. Every day Satan sits 
down with SAMAEL, prince of Rome, and Dubbiel, prince 
of Persia, to write down the sins of Israel on tablets. Satan 
gives the tablets to the seraphim to take to God so that 
God will destroy Israel. But the seraphim know that God 
does not wish to do so, and so they take the tablets and 
burn them. 

In the New Testament, JESUS acknowledged the wis- 
dom of the serpent in his statement “Be ye therefore wise 
as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16). 


Serpent in Gnosticism 

Gnosticism, a dualistic sect, considered the serpent as the 
Son of Man, the Savior himself, who initiates humankind 
into consciousness and raises them up out of a primitive, 
nature-identified unconsciousness. Gnostic teachings 


230 serpent 


Maas 
aise BS 


Angels fly over the Serpent of Eden. (AUTHOR'S COLLECTION) 


identify Jesus with the serpent in Eden because they were 
both condemned for giving humans more godlike status. 


Serpent in Mythology 

In mythology, serpents are powerful, magical, and mysti- 
cal creatures. They are universal symbols of renewal and 
rebirth because of their unique ability to shed their old 
skin for new. The ouroboros, the serpent that forms a cir- 
cle by biting its own tail, symbolizes the eternal cycle of 
life, death, and rebirth. In its carnal aspect, the serpent 
represents a phallus and its associations of the life force, 
sexuality, and sensuality. As a phallic symbol, the ser- 
pent often is associated with pregnancy in imagery and 
mythology. 

As a creature that crawls along the earth and lives in 
holes in the ground, the serpent has connections to the 
underworld, the unconscious, and humankind’s instinc- 
tual drives. Mythical serpents guard the sleep of both the 
living and the dead; thus, they are creatures at the gate- 
way to new consciousness. The serpent also is a universal 
companion to goddesses and thus can symbolize the fem- 
inine, the anima, the womb, the dark, intuition, emotion, 
and all the aspects of the Great Mother. 

The coils of the serpent represent the cycles of mani- 
festation: life and death, good and evil, wisdom and blind 
passion, light and dark, healing and poison, protection 
and destruction. In kundalini yoga, a psychic force called 


the “serpent power” resides coiled near the base of the 
spine. In spiritual transformation, the energy rises up the 
spine to the crown chakra. The appearance of serpents in 
one’s life can presage or accompany the rising of kundalini 
energy. 

The dark aspect of serpents rules chaos, night, and 
death. Deities that wear serpents are depicted with head- 
dresses of crescent Moons. 


Serpent in Alchemy 

In alchemy, the serpent is the serpens Mercurii, the quick- 
silver that represents the constant driving forward of psy- 
chic life forces: living, dying, and being reborn. The ser- 
pent is the prima materia, the unformed and dark chaos, 
from which order and life spring. Alchemical art often 
shows the serpent wearing a gold crown, gem, diadem, or 
light to depict its expanded spiritual consciousness. This 
is another way of expressing the activated kundalini or 
serpent power. 


Serpent in Healing 

The serpent is a potent symbol of healing, which also is part 
of the transformation process. Asclepius, the Greek god of 
healing, appears in the form of a serpent, and domesticated 
serpents were kept at the sacred healing temples of the 
classical world. Dream experiences were an integral part 
of the healing therapies at these temples; it was especially 
good to dream of serpents, because it portended healing. 
The healing power of serpents is cited in Numbers 21:8, 
in which Moses is instructed to set a fiery serpent upon a 
pole, so that all who look upon it shall live. 


Serpent in Dream Symbolism 

To be bitten by a serpent in a dream can represent an 
initiation or an infusion of wisdom—being “bitten” by a 
new awareness, a gift from the gods. It is the equivalent 
of an injection administered by a doctor: One is forcibly 
administered a substance that will bring about some kind 
of healing or new spiritual awareness. To be stalked or 
pursued by a serpent intent on biting indicates that the 
unconscious is attempting to introduce something into 
waking awareness. 


Serpent as Archetype 

The serpent represents great power indicating change, re- 
newal, and transformation. Carl G. Jung considered the 
serpent to represent a potent archetype of psychic energy, 
power, dynamism, instinctual drive, and the entire pro- 
cess of psychic and spiritual transformation. When ser- 
pents appear, they may indicate a transformative process 
that already is under way, or they call attention to the 
need to move to a new level of consciousness. 

Serpents also are associated with water, the symbol 
of the unconscious, and trees, the symbol of wisdom and 
knowledge. A serpent climbing up a tree represents the 
process of becoming conscious or going through psychic 
transformation. Two serpents twine up the caduceus staff 
of Hermes (Mercury or Quicksilver), the classical god 


Seven Deady Sins 231 


who escorts the souls of the dead and delivers messages 
to the gods. The caduceus is a symbol of enlightenment 
and of healing. 


Seven Deadly Sins In Christianity, seven moral trans- 
gressions of divine law that damn a soul to HELL. The 
Seven Deadly Sins each have an associated DEMON that is 
a special agent of tireless temptation. 

The Seven Deadly Sins are not mentioned as a group in 
the Bible, though they are dealt with separately in many 
passages. They were collected together around the time 
the Bible was translated into a single language. More than 
a dozen groupings of deadly sins exist. JOHN CASSIAN, a 
father of the church in the fourth century, wrote a treatise 
on eight deadly sins: Gluttony; Fornication; Covetous- 
ness (avarice); Anger; Dejection; “Accidie,” or heaviness 
or weariness of heart; Kenodocila, or foolishness or vain- 
glory; and Pride. The list was refined in the sixth century 
by St. Gregory the Great. In the 13th century, St. Thomas 
Aquinas wrote about them in more detail in Summa Theo- 
logica, a defining work of Christian dogma. Aquinas re- 
ferred to the sins as “appetites.” 

In 1589, the demonologist and witch hunter PETER 
BINSFELD published a list of demons and sins and paired 
the Seven Deadly Sins with demons. His pairings are 
given in the following, along with the opposing virtues 
recognized by the Catholic Church. 

The most common grouping of the Seven Deadly Sins 
lists a specific order. Five are spiritual in nature and two 
are carnal. Each of the seven spawns more sins, and each 
has an opposing virtue and a symbolic animal. 

The seven sins and their demons are as follows: 


1. Pride—Lucifer: Pride led to the fall from heaven of 
the angel LUCIFER (equated with SATAN and IBLIS) 
and his followers, who became demons. Pride leads 
to arrogance and a desire for glory, which blocks 
God and others from one’s heart. It destroys all 
virtues. 

Pride is symbolized by the lion. Humility is the 
opposing virtue. 

Pride can be countered by taking credit for 
nothing but placing the credit for everything with 
God. 

2. Avarice—Mammon: Avarice is about greed and 
obsession, for a greedy person never has enough of 
anything. Greed leads to cheating, fraud, thievery, 
murder, and miserliness. Aquinas called MAMMON 
“the devil who is Lord of Money.” Avarice is symbol- 
ized by the wolf. Sufficiency is the opposing virtue. 

3. Lust—Asmodeus: Lust is the first carnal deadly sin 
and leads to infidelity, deceit, betrayal, and unclean- 
liness. ASMODEUS is a major demon who figures in 
many POSSESSION cases and in the story of Tobit. 
Lust is symbolized by either the goat or the ass. 
Chastity is the opposing virtue. 


Representation of the demons of the Seven Deadly Sins 
(AUTHOR’S COLLECTION) 


4. Envy—Leviathan: One of the Ten Commandments 
is “Thou shalt not covet,” characterizing envy as 
a “sin of the Devil.” Jealousy leads to an obses- 
sion with possessions, with having more and better 
things than others. St. Paul called covetousness the 
root of all evils, because those who desire above all 
else to be rich fall into temptation and the Devil’s 
traps. It is possible to commit the sin of envy even 
when one has no money or possessions but still has 
the desire for them. 

LEVIATHAN is the monster SERPENT creature 
from the depths that swallows its victims whole. 
Envy is symbolized by the dog. Charity is its 
opposing virtue. 

5. Gluttony—Beelzebub: This deadly sin concerns 
eating and drinking that never satisfy but go on to 
excess. BEELZEBUB (Lord of the Flies) is the Prince 
of Demons and is often equated with Satan. In hell, 
the gluttonous are forced to eat toads and drink 
putrid water. 

Gluttony generates wantonness and a loss of 
reason. The remedy is fasting and prayer. 

Sobriety is the opposing virtue. 

6. Anger—Satan: Anger leads to rage, vengeance, war, 
bloodshed, violence, cruelty, irrationality, and all 
of humanity’s baser actions. It is easy to spark, and 


232 Seven in Lancahire Rssessions 


Satan quickly fans its flames. Uncontrolled anger 
lays waste to all landscapes, physical, emotional, 
and spiritual. Anger is symbolized by fanged ani- 
mals such as a leopard or a raging wild boar. 
Cassian said that anger clouds discretion and 
right judgment and must be rooted out from the 
“inmost corners of the soul.” 
Patience is the opposing virtue. 

7. Sloth—Belphegor: The second carnal sin is sloth, 
which spawns laziness, carelessness, apathy, and 
negligence. Aquinas said that sloth breeds igno- 
rance, which in turn creates a host of other sins. 
BELPHEGOR, who is worshipped with offerings of 
excrement, rules this sin. Sloth is symbolized by a 
donkey. Diligence is the opposing virtue. 


FURTHER READING: 

Cassian, John. On the Training of the Monk and the Eight 
Deadly Sins. Available online. URL: http://www.thenaz 
areneway.com/Institutes%200f%20John%20Cassian/ 
the_eight_deadly_sin s.htm. Downloaded December 27, 
2007. 

Mack, Carol K., and Dinah Mack. A Field Guide to Demons: 
Fairies, Fallen Angels, and Other Subversive Spirits. New 
York: Owl Books/Henry Holt, 1998. 

Thomas Aquinas. Summa Theologiae. Edited by Timothy 
McDermott. Allen, Texas: Christian Classics, 1989. 


Seven in Lancashire Possessions (1595-1597) English 
case of possessed children and adults, involving John Dee 
and the Puritan minister the REVEREND JOHN DARREL. 
The case bears similarities to the children in the THROCK- 
MORTON POSSESSIONS, in that the children probably faked 
fits in order to avoid religious studies and attending 
church and perhaps to gain attention. An accused witch 
was executed. Accounts of the case were written by Dar- 
rel and another minister who performed the EXORCISMs, 
George More, and were published in 1600. 

The Seven in Lancashire case began in 1595 in the 
household of Nicholas Starkie of Cleworth, Lancashire. 
His two children, Ann, 10, and John, 12, began having 
fits and convulsions. Starkie spent 200 pounds—a huge 
sum of money—trying to cure the children, to no avail. 
He consulted a priest—his wife had been a Catholic—but 
the priest had no instructions for exorcism. 

Starkie then turned to a cunning man, Edmund Hart- 
ley, and hired him at the annual salary of two pounds. 
Hartley was skilled in herbal remedies and charms. 
Shortly after the arrival of Hartley in the household, three 
other children who were being raised by Starkie became 
possessed. So did a maid, Jane Ashton, and a poor rela- 
tive, Margaret Byrom, 33. 

The behavior of the DEMONIACs conformed to that of 
other demoniacs. They screamed, howled, and writhed. 
They went into fits whenever Scripture was read, and they 
burst out with foul language during church services. John 


Starkie ranted for hours on sin and the wrath of God. 
One of the girls made a hole in her wall to let her DEMON 
enter. 

Hartley successful calmed the demoniacs for about 18 
months, using CHARMs and herbs. Oddly, he was subject 
to fits himself. 

By autumn 1596, Starkie, perhaps wishing for more 
dramatic results, consulted Dee, who was famous for his 
contact with spirits and who had had an experience with 
a possessed woman in his employ. Dee recommended 
calling in some “godly preachers” and treating the chil- 
dren with fasting and prayer, common Protestant rem- 
edies for POSSESSION. 

Starkie then consulted Darrel and More. Darrel inter- 
viewed Hartley and criticized his approach. The children 
had no fits for three weeks. 

Hartley fell under suspicion. Dee’s curate, Matthew 
Palmer, identified him as a witch because he could not 
say the Lord’s Prayer without stumbling—a common test 
for discovering witches that was employed in witch tri- 
als. Hartley was accused of bewitching the demoniacs by 
kissing them. He was brought to trial in March 1597 and 
was found guilty. However, the court had no grounds for 
execution. Conjuring spirits was against the law and pun- 
ishable by death, but there was no evidence that Hartley 
had done so. 

Then Starkie “remembered” an incident. He said that 
prior to his consulting Dee—and the reason for it—he 
had been with Hartley in a wood. The cunning man had 
made a circle on the ground with “crosses and partitions” 
and asked Starkie to walk it. He allegedly said, “Now I 
shall trouble him that troubled me, and be meete with 
him that sought my death.” 

Hartley denied this, but it was all the court needed 
to dispatch him, and he was hanged for conjuring. The 
rope broke, giving Hartley a chance to make a confession 
and repent, but the court had him hanged again, this time 
successfully. 

The demoniacs seemed mollified by his death, but 
Starkie called in Darrel and More to exorcise them just 
the same. When the preachers arrived, the demoniacs re- 
sumed their fits and even rejoiced in the death of Hartley. 
They made a terrific show of screaming blasphemies and 
convulsing for a day. Then, all were dispossessed. All but 
one were never to be troubled so again. The maid, Jane 
Ashton, continued to suffer fits and went to live with a 
Catholic uncle, who sent her to priests to be exorcised. 


FURTHER READING: 

Walker, D. P Unclean Spirits: Possession and Exorcism in 
France and England in the Late Sixteenth and Early Seven- 
teenth Centuries. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania 
Press, 1981. 


Shamsiel FALLEN ANGEL who is by some accounts a 
good ANGEL. Shamsiel means “light of day” or “mighty 
son of God.” 


Simon Magus 233 


As a fallen angel, Shamsiel is one of the WATCHERS, ac- 
cording to the book of Jubilees. In 1 Enoch he is a fallen 
angel who teaches the signs of the Sun. 

As a good angel, Shamsiel is a prince of paradise, 
guardian of Eden, and ruler of the fourth heaven. Ac- 
cording to the Zohar, he is chief of 365 LEGIONs of angels 
and is one of two aids to the archangel Uriel in battle. He 
crowns prayers and takes them to the fifth heaven. Sham- 
siel guided Moses when he visited paradise in the flesh. 


Shax (Chax, Scox) FALLEN ANGEL and 44th of the 72 
SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. Shax is a marquis who has the form 
of a stork and speaks with a hoarse voice. He destroys 
the eyesight, hearing, and understanding of any person 
upon command. He steals money from kings and then 
returns it in 1,200 years. After he is commanded into the 
magician’s triangle, Shax will transport anything; other- 
wise, he will be deceptive. Upon command, he will steal 
horses. He will find all hidden things, unless they are 
being kept by evil spirits. He sometimes gives good 
FAMILIARS. He commands 30 LEGIONS of DEMONS. 


shaytan (mazikeen, shaitan, shedeem, shedim, sheytan) 
In Islamic lore, a type of djinn, thoroughly evil, created 
by Allah from smokeless fire. In Hebrew and Arabic 
mythology, they are evil spirits who have cock’s feet. 

The al-shaytan (plural) work under the direction of IBLIS 
and try unceasingly to tempt people into sin. They create 
illusions of pleasure in the mind that lead to desires. They 
can shape shift into the forms of beautiful women (see SUC- 
CUBUS) to tempt men sexually. They can also shape shift into 
animals, inhabit corpses, and take POSSESSION of people. 

The al-shaytan eat dirt and excrement. If a person for- 
gets to wash his or her hands after supper, the DEMONs 
will lick the hands to bloody stumps during the night. Ac- 
cording to lore, they have an aversion to water and cannot 
open the lids of vessels and jars, because King SOLOMON 
once imprisoned them in bottles. A folktale tells that a 
huge number of al-shaytan were accidentally released into 
the world by Moroccan fishermen who found bottles with 
the red seal of Solomon upon them and opened them. 

White cocks will repel the al-shaytan. They can be 
kept out of a house by keeping all doors tightly closed. 

Shaytan is a name for Iblis. 

See SATAN. 


FURTHER READING: 

Frieskens, Barbara. Living with Djinns: Understanding and Deal- 
ing with the Invisible in Cairo. London: Saqi Books, 2008. 
Mack, Carol K., and Dinah Mack. A Field Guide to Demons: 
Fairies, Fallen Angels, and Other Subversive Spirits. New 

York: Owl Books/Henry Holt, 1998. 


shedim In Hebrew demonology, evil spirits created by 
the union of a succubus or Lilith and a man. The shedim 
are a man’s “demonic children.” When a man dies, they 


go to the grave to weep. Tradition called for a man’s 
legitimate offspring to stay away from the graveside at 
burial in order to avoid dangers from the shedim. 

A 17th-century account of beliefs of German Jews de- 
scribes them: 


They [Jews] firmly believe that if a man’s seed escapes 
him, it gives rise, with the help of mahlath [a female 
demon] and Lilith, to evil spirits, which however die 
when the time comes. When a man dies and his children 
begin to weep and lament, these shedim, or evil spirits, 
come too, wishing, along with the other children, to 
have their part in the deceased as their father; they tug 
and pluck at him, so that he feels the pain, and God him- 
self, when He sees this noxious offspring by the corpse, 
is reminded of the dead man’s sins. 


One custom called for 10 men to dance in a circle 
around a man’s body seven times before it was lowered 
into the grave, reciting the 91st Psalm or other prayers 
to ward off the shedim. Then a stone was laid on the bier 
while Genesis 25:6 was recited: “But unto the sons of the 
concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, 
and sent them away.” 

In later lore, the shedim were hairy, wild DEMONs who 
lived in the woods and danced. They were known for 
their tricks, such as leaving human beings with grotesque 
deformities if they were displeased. 

The shedim are ruled by ASMODEUS. 

See SHAYTAN. 


FURTHER READING: 
Davies, T. Witton. Magic, Divination and Demonology among 
the Hebrews and Their Neighbors. First published 1898. 
Mack, Carol K., and Dinah Mack. A Field Guide to Demons: 
Fairies, Fallen Angels, and Other Subversive Spirits. New 
York: Owl Books/Henry Holt, 1998. 

Scholem, Gershom G. On the Kabbalah and Its Symbolism. 
New York: Schocken Books, 1965. 


Simon Magus (first century) Gnostic wonder-worker 
and sorcerer. Simon Magus’ Christian opponents said 
that he was a DEMON or had obtained his powers from 
the DEVIL. Simon Magus became the prototypical heretic 
and black magician. 

Simon came from Samaria. He was attracted to Chris- 
tianity and the miracles associated with it, and he was 
converted to the faith by Philip the Deacon, whose magic 
impressed Simon. 

According to Acts 8:9-24, the apostles Peter and John 
were sent to Samaria to deliver the Holy Spirit into the 
population by a laying on of hands. When Simon wit- 
nessed their supernatural work, he offered the apostles 
money: “Give me this power, that any one on whom | lay 
my hands shall receive the Holy Spirit.” The apostles, an- 
gry that Simon should expect to buy holy power, had him 
thrown out of the church. Peter told him, “Your silver per- 
ish with you, because you thought you could obtain the 


234 Sinistrari, lodovico Maria 


gift of God with money.” Simon’s name gave rise to the 
term simony, the sin of buying or selling a church office. 

Simon traveled to Rome, where he impressed people 
with his occult ability, and then to Egypt, where he alleg- 
edly learned how to make himself invisible, levitate, move 
objects with his mind, handle fire unharmed, and shape- 
shift into an animal. He may have accomplished some of 
these feats through illusion and hypnosis. The Roman 
emperor Nero was impressed, however, and named him 
court magician. 

According to the Acts of Peter, an apochryphal text, 
the apostle Peter went to Rome to challenge Simon and 
expose him of fraud. They tried to outdo each other 
in magical feats. Simon is said to have died after he at- 
tempted to levitate off the top of the Roman Forum and 
fell to earth, breaking his legs. 

Simon is credited with founding a Gnostic sect that 
became known as the Simonians. 

See PACT. 


Sinistrari, Lodovico Maria (1622-1701) Franciscan 
theologian whose contribution to demonology is his 
work Demoniality, in which he examines sexual acts with 
DEMONs. Lodovico Sinistrari likened demons more to the 
LUTIN, or mischievous hobgoblin, than to evil servants of 
SATAN. 

Sinistrari had an illustrious career as a theologian. 
He was born on February 26, 1622, in Ameno, a small 
town in Piedmont, Italy. He was educated at the esteemed 
University of Pavia, and in 1647 he entered the Order of 
Reformed Minors of the Strict Observance of St. Francis. 
He became a professor of philosophy at Pavia and taught 
theology. Students from all over Europe traveled to hear 
him lecture. Sinistrari also was popular as a preacher 
throughout Italy. Good-looking and personable, he was 
well liked by royalty and the general public. 

Sinistrari served as consultant to the Supreme Tribu- 
nal of the Most Holy Inquisition; as vicar-general to the 
archbishop of Avignon, France; and as theologian to the 
cardinal-archbishop of Milan. By 1688, Sinistrari was in 
retreat at the Franciscan sanctuary of Sacro Monte, where 
he wrote poetry. He compiled the statutes of the order and 
wrote other works. He died on March 6, 1701, at age 79. 

His manuscript Demoniality (De Daemonialitate, et In- 
cubis et Succubis ) remained unknown until 1872, when 
the original was discovered in a London bookshop by 
Isidore Lisieux, a bibliophile. The shop had acquired part 
of the collection of a man who had died in Florence; Demo- 
niality was among the manuscripts. It was only 86 pages 
in length, handwritten in Latin on Italian parchment. Li- 
sieux translated it into French and published it in 1875. It 
was then translated into English. A 1927 edition includes 
an introduction and notes by Montague Summers. 

Demoniality concerns the nature of demons. Sinistrari 
uses the term INCUBUS to describe spirits that are more lu- 
tinlike rather than evil. He confirms opinions of his con- 


temporary demonologists, especially FRANCESCO-MARIA 
GUAZZO. Witches and wizards are physically present at 
SABBATs and copulate with the DEVIL and demons as part 
of their infernal PACT. Demons also have intercourse with 
people, appearing to them at night and impersonating hu- 
man lovers. Some of these copulating demons are differ- 
ent from the antireligious demons who possess people, 
according to Sinistrari; they simply want to satisfy carnal 
lusts and harass people. 


The Incubus of Hieronyma 

Sinistrari relates one such case he was involved in him- 
self. About 25 years prior to the time he wrote the manu- 
script, he was a lecturer on theology in the convent of 
the Holy Cross in Pavia. A married woman named Hiero- 
nyma, of “unimpeachable morality,” was pestered by such 
an incubus. Her problems started with a mysterious cake. 
One day she kneaded bread and took it to a baker for bak- 
ing. When he gave her back her loaves, there was a large 
cake of peculiar shape among them, made of butter and 
Venetian paste. Hieronyma said it was not hers, but the 
baker insisted it was, and she had just forgotten about it. 
She took it home and shared it with her husband, three- 
year-old daughter, and maid. 

The next night, she was awakened by a hissing voice 
that asked whether “the cake had been to her taste.” The 
voice went on, “Be not afraid, I mean you no harm; quite 
the reverse: I am prepared to do anything to please you; 
I am captivated by your beauty, and desire nothing more 
than to enjoy your sweet embraces.” Hieronyma then felt 
kisses upon her cheeks. She crossed herself and invoked 
Jesus and Mary repeatedly, and after about half an hour, 
the invisible tempter departed. 

The following morning, she went straight to her con- 
fessor, who advised her to continue resistance and sur- 
round herself with relics. The incubus returned night 
after night, wearing her down. She had herself exorcised 
in case she was possessed. But the priests could find no 
evidence of an evil spirit in her, so they blessed the house, 
the bedroom, and the bed and ordered the incubus to stop 
pestering her. 

The demon started appearing to her in the form of 
a handsome young man with golden hair and beard, 
sea-green eyes, and beautiful Spanish clothing. He ap- 
proached her even when she was with others, and no one 
else could see him. He attended her as an ardent lover, 
cooing and kissing her hands. 

After months of rejection, the incubus became angry. 
He spirited away her silver cross and Agnus Dei, which 
she always wore. Silver and gold jewelry went missing 
from her locked jewelry box. The incubus also started 
beating Hieronyma, causing ugly bruises on her face, 
arms, and body that mysteriously disappeared after a 
day or two. He snatched her daughter away from her and 
hid the child. He upset furniture and smashed crock- 
ery and in an instant restored everything to its original 
condition. 


Sinistrari, Lodovico Maria 235 


The demon continued to visit Hieronyma at night. En- 
raged at her resistance, one night he took huge roofing 
flagstones to the bedroom and built a wall around the bed 
that was so high, Hieronyma and her husband could not 
get out without a ladder. 

One evening, when the couple had guests for dinner, 
the dining room table, set with plates and utensils and 
loaded with food, abruptly disappeared. Just as the guests 
were leaving—without their meal—a crash sounded in 
the dining room. They found the table restored, and on 
it a huge array of fine foods and foreign wines that had 
not been there before. Everyone sat down and enjoyed 
the meal. They adjourned to sit by the fire, and the table 
once again disappeared, then reappeared with the origi- 
nal food that had been prepared. 

After months of these wearying annoyances, Hiero- 
nyma went to the Church of St. James and prayed to 
Blessed Bernadine of Feltre whose body was incorrupt. 
She promised to wear a shapeless frock with a cord, like 
those worn by the Franciscans, for an entire year, if the 
saint would intercede and expel the incubus. 

The day after she donned the frock was Michaelmas 
Day, and Hieronyma went to mass. As soon as she set foot 
on the threshold of the church, a gust of wind hit her and 
her clothing fell off and disappeared, leaving her naked 
and embarrassed. Two cavaliers covered her with their 
cloaks and took her home. Six months went by before the 
incubus returned the clothing. 

Sinistrari wrote that the incubus harassed Hieronyma 
for years. She never gave in, and at last he gave up and 
went away for good. Such are many incubus attacks: The 
demons attempt no act against religion but merely assail 
chastity. “Consequently, consent is not a sin through un- 
godliness, but merely through incontinence,” he said. It 
is on the same level as bestiality and sodomy. These acts 
differ, he said, from intentional intercourse with demons, 
such as attributed to witches at sabbats and those who 
had made pacts with the Devil. 


Traits of Incubi and Succubi 

Sinistrari agreed with his peers that demons could be 
invisible and take corporeal form for the purpose of in- 
tercourse, and women could become impregnated by 
them. However, he argued, their passion had to spring 
from the senses, and one could not have senses without 
physical organs through a combination of body and soul. 
Therefore, incubi are perfect, rational animals with ra- 
tional souls. They are not the same as the possessing evil 
spirits, who flee at the signs of holiness or entice witches 
into pacts, he said. Their behavior indicates they only 
desire sex, and, as any rational animal does, they be- 
come frustrated and angry when they do not get it. 

As further evidence to support this argument, Sinis- 
trari pointed to the case of animals sexually harassed by 
incubi. Since animals do not have souls, he said, the in- 
cubi cannot have a purpose of ruining and damning their 
souls. Again, the only purpose is sex. 


Incubi do not cause illness but mistreat people by 
beating them. They do not require the direction of a witch 
or wizard to harass people; they undertake it of their own 
choice and volition. 

As evidence to support his assertions, Sinistrari cites 
two cases of incubus attacks. One, related to him by a 
confessor of nuns whom he trusted, concerned a young 
noble maiden who lived in a convent. An incubus be- 
gan appearing to her day and night, making earnest and 
impassioned pleas for sex with her. She resisted and, as 
the attacks continued, sought help from EXORCISMs, rel- 
ics, blessings, prayer, and candles kept lit all night long. 
The incubus persisted and kept appearing in the form of 
a handsome young man. 

The solution was discovered by an unnamed but emi- 
nent theologian, who observed that the young woman had 
a watery humor. Since like attracts like, according to the 
prevailing views at the time, the demon had to be watery 
in nature as well. The theologian prescribed a continual 
suffumigation of the girl’s room. An earthenware and glass 
vessel was filled with sweet calamus, cubeb seed, roots 
of both aristolochies, great and small cardamom, ginger, 
long-pepper, caryophylleae, cinnamon, cloves, mace, nut- 
meg, calamite storax, benzoin, aloes-wood and roots, one 
ounce of fragrant sandal, and three quarts of half-brandy 
and half-water. The vessel was set on hot ashes to cook, 
and the room was sealed. 

When the incubus arrived, he would not enter the 
room, repelled by the fumes. However, he still assaulted 
the maiden if she went elsewhere, such as for a walk in 
the garden. He hugged her and kissed her and remained 
invisible to others. 

The theologian prescribed that she carry on her per- 
son pills and pomanders made of perfume from musk, 
amber, civet, Peruvian balsam, and other exotic essences. 
This threw the incubus off, and he permanently departed 
in a black rage. 

Sinistrari himself was involved in the second ex- 
ample he cites. In the Carthusian monastery in Pavia, a 
deacon named Augustine was attacked by a demon. All 
spiritual remedies, including exorcism, failed. Sinistrari 
prescribed the same fumes and perfumes that had been 
effective in the earlier case. The demon continued to ap- 
pear, taking the forms of a skeleton, pig, ass, angel, bird, 
another monk, and even the prior of the monastery. 

As the prior, the demon completely fooled Augustine. 
It heard his confession, genuflected, blessed his room 
and bed with holy water, ordered the demon to desist, 
and then vanished into thin air, betraying his real iden- 
tity. He then went to the vicar, appeared as the prior, 
and asked for musk and brandy, saying he was very fond 
of them. 

Sinistrari deduced the demon had a fiery nature and 
so prescribed the opposite, herbs that were “cold”: water 
lily, agrimony, spurge, mandrake, house-leek, plantain, 
henbane, and others. These were knit into two bundles, 


236 Sitri 


one hung in the window of Augustine’s cell and one hung 
in the door. Herbs were strewn on the floor. When the in- 
cubus next appeared, he would not enter the cell. He grew 
angry, hurled abuse, and left, never to return. 

Sinistrari said that incubi are on a spiritual path and, 
like humans, capable of salvation and damnation. They 
are born, live, and die. They, have their own sperm and 
can reproduce themselves and impregnate human women 
on their own, he said, refuting the prevailing view that in 
order to impregnate a woman, a demon had to become a 
succubus to seduce a man and then change into an incu- 
bus to seduce a woman. However, the offspring of incubi 
and humans are barren, he said, and do not reproduce on 
their own. 

Sinistrari would have been in a minority in his time 
concerning his views on copulating demons. By the 17th 
century, there were other skeptics about sabbats, Devil 
pacts, and other infernal activities; REGINALD SCOT had 
been vocal in the century before. It is not known why 
Sinistrari’s manuscript remained unknown for 171 years 
after his death. There is no record of his attempting to 
publish it. 


FURTHER READING: 
Sinistrari, Lodovico Maria. Demoniality. New York: Dover, 
1989. 


Sitri FALLEN ANGEL and 12th of the 72 SPIRITS OF SOLO- 
MON. Sitri is a great prince who appears first with a leop- 
ard’s face and griffin wings. He then assumes the shape 
of a beautiful human. He inflames men and women to 
fall in love with each other and take off all their clothes. 
He commands 60 LEGIONs of DEMONS. 


Six-six-six (666) The number of “the Beast,” or Anti- 
christ, according to interpretations of the book of REVE- 
LATION in the Bible. Six-six-six is associated with the 
DEVIL and SATANISM. 

Revelation is based on a series of apocalyptic visions 
John of Patmos experienced during his exile on the is- 
land of Patmos in the Aegean Sea. In one vision, a beast 
rises up from the sea. It has seven heads, 10 horns, and 
10 crowns; the heads bear the name of blasphemy. One of 
the heads had a fatal wound but had healed. A voice in the 
vision says, “Let him that hath understanding count the 
number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his 
number is Six hundred threescore and six.” 

The number would be marked on the forehead or 
right hand of worshippers. An ANGEL tells John, “If any- 
one worships the beast and its image, and receives a mark 
on his forehead or hand, he also shall drink the wine of 
God's wrath, and shall be tormented with fire and sulphur 
in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And 
the smoke of their torment goes up for ever and ever; and 
they have no rest, day or night.” 

The number 666 has been projected onto many en- 
emies throughout history. Names have been manipu- 


lated to add up to the numerical value of 666. Revelation 
makes reference to Roman emperors who claimed deity, 
and “Nero Caesar” adds up to 666. The Gnostics were 
considered great enemies of the church, and some church 
fathers said the Gnostic Ogdoad was the Number of the 
Beast. During the Reformation, Protestants called the 
Catholic Church the Italika Ekklesia and referred to the 
pope by the Greek word papeiskos in order to arrive at 
666, and the Catholics did the same to MARTIN LUTHER. 
Similarly, the number has been applied to Muhammad, 
and even to political villains such as Napoleon Bonaparte 
and Adolf Hitler. 

ALEISTER CROWLEY often signed his name as “The Beast 
666” or “TO MEGA THERION,” which equals “The Great 
Beast” in Greek, or 666. He associated 666 with the pow- 
ers of the Sun, not evil. In the KABBALAH, the Sun is the 
sixth emanation from God. A magical square expressing 
the Sun adds up to 666. A square composed of 36 squares 
(6 times 6) contains the numbers 1 through 36 so that any 
line connecting the numbers, horizontal, vertical, or di- 
agonal, adds up to 111. The sum of all the squares is 666. 

In 1934, Crowley testified in a lawsuit and was asked 
about his self-designations of “The Beast 666” and “Mega 
Therion.” Therion means “great wild beast,” he said, and 
666 is the number of the Sun. Crowley said, “You can call 
me Little Sunshine.” 

Throughout history, people look for the Beast in 
names or things that add up to 666. However, languages 
and numbers can be manipulated to arrive at 666 for any 
name. Crowley was able to make his own name add up to 
666 by using Hebrew letters and adding his middle ini- 
tial, E, which he never used otherwise. The number 666 
has been so stigmatized that people avoid using it for le- 
gitimate purposes. 

Because of its associations with the Antichrist, 666 
is feared and avoided by many people, especially for ad- 
dresses and telephone exchange numbers. Fear of 666 is 
called hexakosioihexakontahexaphobia. 


FURTHER READING: 

DuQuette, Lou Milo. “666: Whats in a Number?” FATE, 
October 2005, 10-17. 

Edinger, Edward FE Archetype of the Apocalypse: A Jungian 
Study of the Book of Revelation. Chicago: Open Court, 
1999. 

Godwin, David FE “The Number of the Beast.” FATE, October 
2005, 18. 


Smith, Helene (19th century) Swiss medium who 
underwent a spirit POSSESSION and was overtaken by the 
discarnate Count Cagliostro. Smith, whose real name 
was Catherine Elise Muller, never worked as a paid 
medium but gave séances to friends and admirers for 
entertainment. She earned a living holding a high posi- 
tion in a large store in Geneva, Switzerland. 

Smith’s séances were characterized by trances, auto- 
matic writing in Arabic, and glossolalia, or speaking in 


Smurl Hauntirg 237 


tongues. She hypnotized herself into a trance and allowed 
her control, Leopold, to speak and write through her. 

Smith claimed she had been a Hindu princess and Ma- 
rie Antoinette in previous lives. Her present humble life 
was repayment of a karmic debt for her transgressions as 
Antoinette. One of the spirits she channeled in trances 
was Cagliostro. When he appeared, Smith exhibited signs 
of temporary spirit possession. Her appearance changed 
markedly to drooping eyelids and a double chin. The 
spirit used her vocal cords, speaking in a deep bass voice. 
She also underwent marked physical changes when Leo- 
pold spoke through her. 

Leopold, who controlled a bevy of spirits around 
Smith, said he had been transported to Mars. The spir- 
its were able to take Smith to Mars while she was in a 
trance. The results of these journeys were crude pictures 
of Martian landscapes, including plants, houses, and city 
streets, and automatic writing of a Martian language. 
Many spiritualists believed her. 

In the late 1890s, Smith was studied by a number of 
leading investigators, most notably Theodore Flournoy, a 
Swiss professor of psychology. Flournoy, using psycho- 
analytic techniques, spent five years sitting in on séances, 
researching Smith’s personal history, and corroborating 
historical information she provided at her séances. 

Flournoy described the takeover of Cagliostro as a 
gradual process. First, Smith felt as though an invisible 
force seized her arms and she could not move them. Then, 
pain arose in her neck at the base of her skull. Her eye- 
lids drooped, and her chin dropped and formed what ap- 
peared to be a double chin, giving her a resemblance to 
portraits of Cagliostro. She took on a pompous bearing, 
made Masonic signs with her hands, and spoke in a slow, 
deep, masculine bass voice with an Italian accent. Caglio- 
stro addressed everyone as “thou” and acted as though 
he was “the grand master of secret societies,” according 
to Flournoy. 

Flournoy concluded that Smith had a fantastic imagi- 
nation, perhaps complemented with telepathy and psy- 
chokinesis. The Martian language that she produced was 
a childish imitation of French; a Sanskrit expert declared 
that 98 percent of the words could be traced to earthly 
languages. “Leopold,” who was pompous, dignified, and 
sensible, was probably her most highly developed second- 
ary personality. 

Flournoy published his findings in 1900 in From India 
to the Planet Mars. Smith’s supporters stood by her, and 
Flournoy was banished from her life. The exposé served 
to increase her popularity, and Smith enjoyed comfort- 
able wealth and fame. 


FURTHER READING: 

Flournoy, Theodore. From India to the Planet Mars: A Study 
of a Case of Somnambulism with Glossolalia. New York: 
Harper & Bros., 1900. 

Gauld, Alan. Mediumship and Survival. London: William 
Heinneman, 1982. 


Myers, E W. H. Human Personality and Its Survival of Bodily 
Death. Abridged ed. Edited by Susy Smith. New Hyde 
Park, N.Y.: University Books, 1961. 

Oesterreich, Traugott K. Possession and Exorcism. Secaucus, 
N.J.: University Books, 1966. 


Smurl Haunting (1986-1987) Demonic activity in a 
private residence in West Pittston, Pennsylvania. The 
phenomena at the home of Jack and Janet Smurl at 328- 
330 Chase Street received wide attention in the media, 
primarily due to the investigations of ED AND LORRAINE 
WARREN, lay demonologists. Three EXORCISMs were per- 
formed, but the DEMON refused to leave. Skeptics said the 
case was a prank or hoax. The events were the subject of 
a best-selling book, The Haunted by Robert Curran, and a 
film by the same title. 

The afflicted house was a duplex, built in 1896 on a 
quiet street in a middle-class neighborhood. The Smurls 
were a close-knit Catholic family living in Wilkes-Barre, 
Pennsylvania. A Navy veteran, Jack worked as a neuro- 
psychiatric technician. The Smurls were forced to move 
by the devastation caused by Hurricane Agnes in 1972. 
Jack’s parents, John and Mary Smurl, bought the house 
in West Pittston in 1973 for $18,000. They lived in the 
right half, and Jack, Janet, and their first two daughters, 
Dawn and Heather, moved into the left half. The Smurls 
did their own redecorating and remodeling and enjoyed 
a close relationship with Jack’s parents. For 18 months, 
their new life seemed idyllic. 

Then strange things occurred. In January 1974, a mys- 
terious stain appeared on new carpet. Jack’s television set 
burst into flame. Water pipes leaked even after repeated 
soldering. The new sink and bathtub in the remodeled 
bathroom were found severely scratched, as if a wild ani- 
mal had clawed at them. Freshly painted woodwork in the 
bathroom showed scratches, as well. In 1975, their older 
daughter, Dawn, repeatedly saw people floating around 
in her bedroom. 

The Smurls tolerated the annoyances. Life went on, 
and they had two more children, the twins Shannon and 
Carin in 1977. By then, something was obviously wrong 
in the house. Toilets flushed without anyone using them. 
Footsteps were heard on the stairs; drawers opened and 
closed when no one was in the room. Radios blared 
even when unplugged. Empty porch chairs rocked and 
creaked. Strange sour smells filled the house. Jack felt 
ghostly caresses. 

In 1985, the annoying disturbances became frighten- 
ing experiences. The house was often ice cold. John and 
Mary Smurl heard loud, abusive, obscene language from 
Jack and Janet’s side of the duplex when they were not 
even arguing. Then in February, Janet heard her name 
called several times when she was alone in the basement. 

Two days later, icy cold announced the arrival of a 
black human-shaped form, about five feet nine inches 
tall, with no facial features. First, it appeared to Janet in 


238 Smurl Haunting 


her kitchen, then it dematerialized through the wall and 
appeared to Mary Smurl. 

From that point on, the haunting increased. A large 
ceiling light fixture crashed down on Shannon, nearly 
killing her, on the night 13-year-old Heather was to be 
confirmed. Jack levitated. In June, Janet was violently 
pulled off her bed after making love to her husband, 
while Jack lay paralyzed, gagging from a foul odor. The 
family German shepherd, Simon, was repeatedly picked 
up, thrown around, or whipped. Terrible rapping and 
scratching noises were heard in the walls. Phantom dogs 
ran through the duplex. Shannon was tossed out of bed 
and down the stairs. Invisible snakes hissed, bedspreads 
were shredded, and heavy footsteps crossed the attic. 
Even neighbors were not spared; several heard screams 
and strange noises from the house when the Smurls were 
not home, and others detected the presence in their own 
homes. Most of the neighbors were sympathetic. The 
Smurls vowed to fight. 

In January 1986, Janet heard about the Warrens, and 
the couple decided to call them. The Warrens arrived with 
Rosemary Frueh, a registered nurse and psychic, and be- 
gan the investigation by quizzing the Smurls about their 
religious beliefs, the happiness of their family life, and 
whether they had ever practiced SATANISM, used a OUJA™ 
board, or in any way invited the supernatural into their 
home. The Smurls said they had not. Then, the Warrens 
and Frueh walked the house, identifying the bedroom 
closet as the crossover point between the two sides of 
the duplex. The team said they detected the presence of 
four evil spirits. Three were minor, but the fourth was a 
demon. 

Without any evidence of family discord, occult invita- 
tion, or tragedy, the Warrens could only surmise that the 
demon must have been dormant, probably for decades, 
and had risen to draw on the emotional energy generated 
by the girls’ entrance into puberty. 

The Warrens tried twice to induce the demon to ex- 
pose itself through religious provocation, by playing 
tapes of religious music and confronting it with prayer. 
The demon reacted by shaking the MIRROR and dresser 
drawers; another time by spelling out “You filthy bastard. 
Get out of this house.” The portable television emitted 
an eerie, silvery white glow. Only prayer and holy water 
seemed to stop the manifestations. 

Phenomena continued. The eerie glow returned, the 
pounding in the walls worsened, and Jack and Janet were 
slapped, bitten, and viciously tickled. Small items disap- 
peared. One day, Janet tried to talk to the demon, asking 
it to rap once for yes and twice for no. When she asked 
the demon whether it were there to harm them, it rapped 
once. Two phantom women dressed in colonial clothing 
appeared to Jack. 

Even more horrifying, Jack was raped by a scaly SUC- 
CUBUS posing as an old woman with a young body. Her 
eyes were red and her gums green. Ed Warren was choked 


and suffered terrible flu symptoms. An INCUBUS sexually 
assaulted Janet. Pig noises were heard in the walls. 

The Smurls said they tried several times to obtain sup- 
port and action from the Catholic Church. The Roman 
Catholic Diocese of Scranton said it would consult ex- 
perts, but official involvement seemed unlikely. At one 
point, Janet thought she was getting help from a Father 
O'Leary but discovered he did not exist: Allegedly it was 
the demon impersonating a priest. 

The Warrens called in BISHOP ROBERT MCKENNA, a 
traditionalist priest who refused to abide by the changes 
in ritual mandated by the Second Vatican Council. He 
said Mass in Latin and had performed more than 50 Ex- 
ORCISMS for the Warrens. He conducted the ancient rite, 
infuriating the DEMON. 

The infestation intensified. Their daughter Carin fell 
seriously ill from a strange fever and nearly died. Dawn 
was nearly raped by the presence. Janet and Mary had 
slash marks and bites on their arms. Everyone was de- 
pressed. Ed Warren explained they had moved into the 
second demonic stage, OPPRESSION, which follows infesta- 
tion and is followed by POSSESSION and death. 

McKenna performed a second exorcism in late spring, 
to no avail. The demon even accompanied the family on 
camping trips in the Poconos and harassed Jack at work. 
The family could not move to another house since the 
demon would simply follow. After repeated refusals by 
the church to help, the Smurls decided to appear on 
television. 

Remaining anonymous behind a screen, the Smurls 
were interviewed by Richard Bey on a Philadelphia talk 
show, People Are Talking. Later at home, the demon retali- 
ated. It levitated Janet, then hurled her against the wall. 
It appeared to Jack as a monstrous creature resembling a 
pig on two legs. A human hand rose up through the mat- 
tress and grabbed Janet by the back of the neck. Jack was 
raped again. 

In August 1986, the Smurls felt that the risk of ridicule 
did not outweigh the need to tell their story to a wider au- 
dience and granted an interview to the Wilkes-Barre Sun- 
day Independent newspaper. Their home became a tourist 
attraction for the press, curious onlookers, and skeptics 
who wished to investigate. Some skeptics, who included 
some of the Smurls’ neighbors, said they believed the fam- 
ily was concocting a story in order to profit from book 
and movie contracts. 

Paul Kurtz, chairman of a skeptical organization, the 
Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of 
the Paranormal (CSICOP) in Buffalo, New York, sought to 
investigate but was rebuffed by the family and the War- 
rens. Kurtz proposed to pay for the family to spend a 
week in a hotel with a private security guard while a team 
of investigators examined the house. Kurtz also offered 
free psychiatric and psychological examinations, which 
might have provided clues to the alleged activity. The 
Smurls said CSICOP had already made up its mind that 


Soissons Possessions 239 


their story was a hoax, and they preferred to work with 
the Warrens and the church. 

Two CSICOP investigators went to the Smurl house 
but were denied entrance. Kurtz later opined in an ar- 
ticle he wrote for Skeptical Inquirer, CSICOP’s journal, 
that the case was not paranormal, and the Smurls had 
denied CSICOP access because they were afraid of what 
the organization would discover. He cited discrepancies 
in Dawn Smurl’s accounts of her experiences and was 
critical of the Warrens. Kurtz suggested natural expla- 
nations for some of the phenomena experienced by the 
Smurls: 


e abandoned mine voids in the area, settling and cre- 
ating strange noises 

e delusions by Jack Smurl that he was raped by a 
ghost 

e a broken sewer pipe causing foul smells 

e pranks by teenagers 


Kurtz also pointed out that there were no police records 
of complaints of the haunting by Mrs. Smurl, though she 
said she had contacted police. Kurtz also wondered about 
motivation to make money on the case, since the Smurls 
began talking with Hollywood film companies shortly af- 
ter the story broke in the press. The Smurls denied any 
interest in money. 

Ed Warren raised more doubts of reporters and skeptics 
during a press conference he called in late August 1986. 
Warren said they had recorded paranormal sounds— 
groanings and gruntings—and had videotaped an unclear 
image of a dark mass moving about the house. Asked by 
journalists and CSICOP to produce the tapes, he declined. 
He told one journalist he had given the tapes to a TV com- 
pany, the name of which he could not remember, and told 
Kurtz and other reporters they were in the exclusive pos- 
session of the church. However, church authorities later 
said nothing had been turned over to them. 

Warren also declined reporters’ requests to stay in the 
house, saying no one had paid attention when the Smurls 
first begged the media to spend a night to witness phe- 
nomena, and such requests were now out of the question. 
Warren said the Smurls would no longer deal with the 
press, and he was in charge of the case. 

The Smurls contacted a medium, Mary Alice Rink- 
man, who examined the house and corroborated the 
Warrens finding of four spirits. She identified one as a 
confused old woman named Abigail and another as a dark 
mustachioed man named Patrick who had murdered his 
wife and her lover and then been hanged by a mob. She 
could not identify the third, but the fourth was a power- 
ful demon, she said. 

Press coverage finally pushed the Scranton diocese 
into action, and they reluctantly offered to take over the 
investigation. The Warrens, meanwhile, planned a mass 
exorcism with several priests. Prayer groups went to the 
house to give comfort. The Reverend Alphonsus Travold 


of the St. Bonaventure University, asked by the diocese 
to investigate, said he believed the Smurls were sincere 
and disturbed by the events but could not say whether 
demonic presence was the true cause. 

McKenna arrived a third time to exorcise the house in 
September 1986; this time, the ritual seemed to be effec- 
tive. There were no disturbances for about three months. 

Prior to Christmas 1986, Jack again saw the black 
form, beckoning him to the third stage of possession. 
He clutched his rosary and prayed, hoping this was an 
isolated incident. But the banging noises, terrible smells, 
and violence started again. 

The Smurls moved to another town immediately be- 
fore the book about their ordeal, The Haunted, went to 
press in 1988. The church performed a fourth exorcism 
in 1989, which finally seemed to give them peace. A film 
version of The Haunted was released in 1991. 


FURTHER READING: 

Curran, Robert. The Haunted: One Familys Nightmare. New 
York: St. Martin’s Press, 1988. 

Kurtz, Paul. “A Case Study of the West Pittston ‘Haunted’ 
House.” The Skeptical Inquirer, Winter 1986-1987, 11, 2: 
137-146. 


sneezing According to a European folk belief, the soul 
flies out of the mouth whenever a person sneezes. A 
blessing should be said immediately to prevent the soul 
from being captured by a DEMON before it can return to 
the body. In Islam, Allah instructs people to wish one 
who sneezes well. Folklore also holds that sneezing 
expels a demon. Saying “Bless you” prevents the demon 
from immediately reentering the person and protects 
him or her from evil. 


Soissons Possessions (1582) The POSSESSION of four 
persons in Soissons, France, used by the Catholic Church 
in their campaign against the Protestant Huguenots. The 
Soissons Possessions resembled in many respects the 
MIRACLE OF LAON case and demonstrated the Real Pres- 
ence. The overall mediocrity of the demoniacs and their 
EXORCISM, however, diminished the propaganda value. 
Nonetheless, audiences of thousands turned out to wit- 
ness the exorcisms, and in one case a huge stage was 
built for the purpose. 

One of the DEMONIACS was a 13-year-old boy, Laurent 
Boissonet, possessed by a DEMON named Bonnoir. The de- 
mon praised the Huguenots, damned the priests and fri- 
ars, and said the Huguenots would go to a fine paradise 
where good beds awaited them. Relics of blessed virgins 
placed on the boy’s stomach caused it to swell and the boy 
to convulse. 

Boissonet was handed over to two Franciscans, one of 
whom had been present at the exorcisms of Nicole Obry 
in the Miracle of Laon case. The Franciscans tested the 
boy for fraud by sprinkling him during fits alternately 
with ordinary water and then holy water. The ordinary 


240 Solas 


water produced no reaction, but the holy water increased 
his convulsions. 

Bonnoir was finally expelled after he challenged the 
priests to administer a holy wafer to the boy, saying it 
would leave if Boissonet took it. The boy went into such 
convulsions that the the exorcist, Jean Canart, could 
not insert it into his mouth. Finally, he put the two sa- 
cred fingers—the index and middle—into Boissonet’s 
mouth, causing it to open. He inserted a wafer and 
then clamped the jaws together and put his fingers over 
the boy’s nostrils. There followed an internal struggle 
in the boy between JESUS and Bonnoir, with sounds 
like a shrieking pig being stifled or “a little dog being 
flayed.” 

Three times, Canart called out to the demon to give 
glory to God, honor Jesus and his body, and finally yield 
to God, Christ, and “His Catholic and Roman Church.” 

The demon replied in anger, “You're stifling me—how 
on Earth do you think I can get out?” 

Canart released his hold on the boy’s nostrils, and im- 
mediately a puff of wind and smoke emerged. Boissonet 
fell to his knees, crying, “Praise be to God; now I am 
healed.” 

Boissonet was possessed a second time by another de- 
mon named Bolo, who said he was on good terms with the 
saints and took his direction from St. James. Alternately, 
he said his superior was Ergon but explained that Ergon 
and St. James were one and the same. Bolo said he was 
not really a demon: “You can expel devils all right, but 
not us.” This assertion concerned the exorcists, but they 
succeeded in making Bolo admit that he was evil and de- 
part the boy. 

Another of the demoniacs was Marguerite Obry (no 
mention is made in accounts whether or not she was re- 
lated to Nicole Obry, associated with the Miracle of Laon). 
As Nicole, Marguerite was possessed by BEELZEBUB. The 
Franciscans tested her for fraud as well, giving her ordi- 
nary wafers and holy wafers. They secretly put holy water 
into her wine, and she refused to drink it. 

The other notable demoniac in the case was a 50-year- 
old married man, Nicolas Facquier, an artisan. Facquier 
was possessed twice, first, by a demon named Cramoisy 
and, second, by an unnamed demon. Cramoisy claimed 
to be the same kind of spirit as Bolo: an order that lived in 
the limbo of unbaptized infants. He said he visited para- 
dise three times a year. 

Cramoisy announced that he was possessing Facquier 
in order to persuade three of his Huguenot cousins to 
return to Catholicism. Two of the cousins quickly con- 
verted. The third did so only after a long session with the 
demon, a bishop, and Charles Blendec, a monk who per- 
formed some of the exorcisms. After the third converted, 
Cramoisy departed Facquier. 

All of the demoniacs were successfully exorcised, but 
they had no real impact on other cases or on public opin- 
ion. A year later, in 1583, the church’s national synod at 


Reims warned against performing exorcisms before mak- 
ing certain the victims were not in need of a medical doc- 
tor instead of an exorcist. 


FURTHER READING: 

Walker, D. P Unclean Spirits: Possession and Exorcism in 
France and England in the Late Sixteenth and Early Seven- 
teenth Centuries. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania 
Press, 1981. 


Solas (Stolas) FALLEN ANGEL and 36th of the 72 SPIRITS 
OF SOLOMON. Solas is a powerful prince who appears first 
as a raven or an owl and then as a man. He teaches 
astronomy and the virtues of herbs, including prophecy 
through plants and the uses of precious stones. He gov- 
erns 26 LEGIONS of DEMONS. 


Soleviel DEMON and wandering duke of the air. Soleviel 
commands 200 dukes and 200 companions, who also 
have many servants and who wander from place to place. 
The 12 chief dukes have 1,840 servants who are obedient 
and good-natured. The 12 dukes are Inachiel, Praxeel, 
Moracha, Almodar, Nadrusiel, Cobusiel, Amriel, Axosiel, 
Charoel, Prasiel, Mursiel, and Penador. 


Solomon (10th century B.C.E.) Legendary king of the 
Israelites, son of David, builder of the Temple of Jerusa- 
lem, and commander of an army of DEMONS or DJINN. 

The actual existence of Solomon and his father, Da- 
vid, remains unproved, but they are among the most im- 
portant figures of the Old Testament. Solomon is granted 
great wisdom and understanding by God, far surpassing 
the wisdom of any other man. He knows the lore of plants, 
animals, and everything in the natural world. Men from 
far away seek him out for his counsel. In legend, his wis- 
dom expands to include formidable magical knowledge, 
and his name (including Son of David) is used to control 
both good and bad spirits. 

In 1 Kings, Solomon takes the throne upon his father, 
David's, death. The Lord goes to him in a dream and says, 
“Ask what I shall give you” (3:5). Solomon replies that he 
wishes to be given an understanding mind for governing 
and for discernment between good and evil. Pleased that 
he has not asked for riches, God says, “Behold, I give you 
a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has 
been before you and none like you shall arise after you” 
(3:12). God also grants him incomparable riches. Thus 
does Solomon become famed for his wisdom. 

In the fourth year of his reign, Solomon builds his 
famed Temple of Jerusalem, and his palace and admin- 
istrative complex. In the temple, he places two gilded 
olivewood cherubim in the innermost part of the sanctu- 
ary. He positions them so that a wing of one touches one 
wall and the wing of the other touches the other wall, and 
their other wings touch each other in the middle of the 
house. When the temple is dedicated, priests place the 
ark of the covenant, containing the two stone tablets of 


Solomon 241 


Moses upon which are written the Ten Commandments, 
underneath the wings of the cherubim. 

Solomon has another vision, in which the Lord prom- 
ises that his house will prosper as long as the command- 
ments are kept and no other gods are worshipped. If there 
are any transgressions, God will cause the ruination to 
the kingdom. 

For most of the 40 years of his reign, Solomon pros- 
pers: “Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of earth 
in riches and in wisdom. And the whole earth sought the 
presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had 
put into his mind” (10:23-24). He rules over the natural 
world as well as people. 

By his later years, he has acquired 700 wives and 300 
concubines. Some of his wives convince him to turn away 
from God and worship pagan deities, especially the god- 
dess Ashtoreth. Angry, God sends adversaries against 
him. In the end, God decides not to wrest his kingdom 
away from Solomon but instead to take it away from all 
but one of his sons. 

One day, Solomon went to a person described as 
“the Jebusite” and fell in love with his daughter, who 
is called the Shulamite (Soumanitis). The priests of 
MOLOCH, however, said, “Thou canst not have her to 
wife except thou worship the great gods Remphan and 
Moloch.” Solomon refused, but they gave him five lo- 
custs and said, “Crush these upon the altar of Moloch, 
and it will suffice.” 

Solomon said, “And so I did, and immediately the 
Spirit of God departed from me. . . and I became a laugh- 
ingstock unto the idols and to the demons. Therefore have 
I written this my Testament that ye which come on it may 
pray and take heed to your latter end and not to your be- 
ginning, that ye may find grace perfectly for ever.” 

Other texts expand upon Solomon’s wisdom; he be- 
comes the greatest of magicians, a ruler over the realm 
of nature, able to summon angels and command demons. 
Such details are found in the Testament of Solomon, 
Odes of Solomon, and Psalms of Solomon, all part of the 
pseudepigrapha, and in the Wisdom of Solomon, part of 
the apochrypha. Josephus’ Antiquities credits Solomon 
with writing 1,500 books of odes and songs and 3,000 
books of parables and similitudes and knowing how to 
exorcize demons. The Sefer Raziel, a magical text, says 
that Solomon was heir to the famed book (also called the 
Book of Mysteries), which enabled him to become the 
source of all wisdom. 

From the time of Origen, Solomon becomes more 
prominent in Christian lore than in Jewish lore, appear- 
ing on AMULETs, talismans, and lintels and in numerous 
incantations for protection against and removal of de- 
mons. His magical seal is a pentagram or hexagram. 

In Islamic lore, Solomon becomes the greatest of world 
rulers, a true apostle and messenger of Allah, and the 
prototype of Muhammad. His magical powers against de- 
mons, the djinn, are famous. Solomon acquired his power 


over the djinn by asking for “soverignity not allowed to 
anyone after me” (sura 38:35). Allah responds by granting 
him unique power: “Then We subjected the wind to his 
power, to flow gently by his order wherever he wished, and 
also the evil Jinns, every builder and diver as well as those 
bound together in chains” (sura 38:36-38). Solomon alone 
was given the power to bind the djinn; however, much 
later, the prophet Muhammad repelled IBLIS by invoking 
Solomon’s prayer request for sovereignty (see EXORCISM). 

According to tradition, after Solomon died, the djinn 
wrote books of magic filled with acts of disbelief, or dis- 
information, and put them under his chair. When the 
books were discovered, the djinn claimed that Solomon 
had used the magic in them to control the djinn. As a 
result, Solomon was discredited by some Christians and 
Jews. Others took the books and began practicing the 
magic. Both groups erred, according to scholars, one by 
practicing magic, which earns no happiness in the after- 
life, and the other by discrediting Solomon, whose power 
was directly from Allah. The Qur'an says: 


When a messenger from Allah came to them conform- 
ing what was revealed to them, a group of those given 
the scripture cast the book behind their backs as if they 
did not know about it. They followed what the devils 
claimed about Sulaymaan’s dominion. However, Sulay- 
maan did not disbelieve, but the devils did by teaching 
men magic and what was revealed to the two angels 
Haaroot and Maaroot in Babylon. Though neither of 
them taught anyone without first saying, “We are only 
a trial, so do not commit disbelief,” they learned from 
them means to separate a man from his wife. But, they 
could not harm anyone with it except by Allah’s will. 
They learned what would harm themselves and not what 
would benefit them, though they knew that the buyers 
of (magic) would have no share in the happiness in the 
next life. They sold their souls for an evil price if they 
only knew. (Sura 2:101-102) 


Despite the warnings of Islam, the allure of Solomonic 
magic proved irresistible. Numerous magical handbooks, 
or GRIMOIRES, attributed to the authorship of Solomon 
were popular in the early centuries of Christianity. By the 
12th century, at least 49 texts were in existence. The most 
famous was the Greater Key of Solomon, quoted often in 
the magical books of the 17th—19th centuries. 


Testament of Solomon 

The Testament of Solomon, a text in the pseudepigra- 
pha probably written between the first and third centu- 
ries C.E., is a legendary tale about how Solomon built the 
Temple of Jerusalem by commanding demons. The text is 
rich in demonology, angelology, and lore about medicine, 
astrology, and MAGIC. The author is unknown and may 
have been a Greek-speaking Christian who was familiar 
with the Babylonian Talmud. The magical lore related to 
demons, which dominates the text, shows Babylonian 
influences. 


242 Solomon 


The demons are described as FALLEN ANGELS or the 
offspring of fallen angels and human women, and they 
live in stars and constellations. They can shape shift into 
beasts and forces of nature. They lurk in deserts and 
haunt tombs, and they dedicate themselves to leading 
people astray. They are ruled by Beelzeboul (BEELZEBUB), 
the Prince of Demons. 

The stellar bodies themselves are demonic, wielding 
destructive power over the affairs of humanity. The 36 
decans, or 10-degree portions of the zodiac, are called 
heavenly bodies and likewise are ruled by demons, who 
cause mental and physical illnesses. There are seven 
“world rulers,” who are equated with the vices of decep- 
tion, strife, fate, distress, error, power, and “the worst,” 
each of whom is thwarted by a particular angel (with the 
exception of “the worst”). 

The testament considers angels as God’s messengers 
but does not describe their origin or hierarchy. The main 
purpose of angels is to thwart demons and render them 
powerless. Each angel is responsible for thwarting spe- 
cific demons. Humans must call upon the right angel by 
name in order to defeat a demon; otherwise, demons are 
worshipped as gods. Among the angels named are the 
archangels Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, and Uriel. 

When the demon OrRNIAS vampirizes Solomon’s fa- 
vorite boy by sucking out his soul through his thumb, 
Solomon begs God for power over the demon. While he 
prays, Michael appears and gives Solomon a ring with a 
seal engraved upon a precious stone. Michael tells Solo- 
mon that this magical ring will give him power over all 
demons, male and female, and that they will help him 
build the temple. The demons are subdued when the 
ring is thrown at their chests with the command “Solo- 
mon summons you!” Solomon interviews the demons 
and demands from them the names of their thwarting 
angels. When they are subdued, they are made to con- 
struct his temple. 

One of demons interrogated by Solomon gives no 
name but describes himself as “a lecherous spirit of a 
giant man who died in a massacre in the age of giants.” 
He lives in “inaccessible places.” When someone dies, 
he sits in the tomb near the body and assumes the form 
of the dead man. If anyone visits, he tries to seize him 
or her, and, if he can, he kills that person. If he cannot 
kill the person, the demon causes him or her to become 
possessed by a demon and to gnaw his or her own flesh 
and drool at the mouth. The demon admits to Solomon 
that he is thwarted by the Savior, and if anyone bears the 
cross, the mark of the Savior, on his forehead, the demon 
flees. Solomon binds the demon and locks him up as he 
has the others. 

The Testament of Solomon also describes the demons 
of the decans of the zodiac, the 36 degrees dividing the 12 
zodiacal signs. The decans are ruled by ANGELs, but in the 
Testament, they are reduced to lower-level demons who 
cause disease and strife. 


Solomon summons them to appear before him for 
interrogation to learn what they do and the names of 
the angels who thwart them. They appear with heads of 
formless dogs and as humans, bulls, dragons with bird 
faces, beasts, and sphinxes. The demons are, by order 
of decan: 


lst—Ruax (also Rhyx), or “the Lord”: He causes head- 
aches and is dispatched by the words “Michael, imprison 
Ruax.” 

2nd—Barsafael: He causes those who live in his period 
to have pains in the sides of their heads. He is repelled by 
the words “Gabriel, imprison Barsafael.” 

3rd—Artosael: He damages eyes and is sent away by 
the words “Uriel, imprison Artosael.” 

4th—Oropel: He causes sore throats and mucus and is 
thwarted by the words “Raphael, imprison Oropel.” 

5th—Kairoxanondalon: He causes ear problems and 
is dispatched by the words “Ourouel (Uriel), imprison 
Kairoxanondalon.” 

6th—Sphendonael: He causes tumors of the parotid 
gland and tetanic recurvation (the body bent backward 
rigidly) and is quelled by the words “Sabael, imprison 
Sphendonael.” 

7th—Sphandor: He paralyzes limbs, deadens the 
nerves in hands, and weakens shoulders. He is subdued 
by the words “Arael, imprison Sphandor.” 

8th—Belbel: He perverts the hearts and minds of men 
and is dispatched by the words “Karael, imprison Belbel.” 

9th—Kourtael: He causes bowel colic and pain and 
retreats when he hears the words “Iaoth, imprison Kour- 
tael.” 

10th—Methathiax: He causes kidney pains and is sent 
away by the words “Adonael, imprison Methatiax.” 

11th—Katanikotael: He causes domestic fights and 
unhappiness. To dispel him, write on seven laurel leaves 
the names of the angels who thwart him: “Angel, Eae, leo, 
Sabaoth.” 

12th—Saphthorael: He causes mental confusion. To 
get rid of him, write down the words “Iae, Ieo, sons of 
Sabaoth” and wear the AMULET around the neck. 

13th—Phobothel: He causes loosening of the tendons 
and retreats when he hears the word “Adonai.” 

14th—Leroel: He causes fever, chills, shivering, and 
sore throats and retreats when he hears the words “lax, 
do not stand fast, do not be fervent, because Solomon is 
fairer than eleven fathers.” 

15th—Soubelti: He causes shivering and numbness and 
is dispatched by the words “Rizoel, imprison Soubelt.” 

16th—Katrax: He causes fatal fevers. He can be averted 
by rubbing pulverized coriander on the lips and saying, “I 
adjure you by Zeus, retreat from the image of God.” 

17th—leropa: He causes men to collapse and creates 
stomach problems that cause convulsions in the bath. He 
retreats if the words “Iouda Zizabou” are repeated three 
times in the right ear of the afflicted person. 


sorcery 243 


18th—Modebel: He causes married couples to sepa- 
rate but will retreat if the names of the eight fathers are 
written down and posted in doorways. 

19th—Mardeo: He causes incurable fevers and is sent 
away by writing his name down in the house. 

20th—Rhyx Nathotho: He causes knee problems and 
is repelled if the word “Phounebiel” is written on a piece 
of papyrus. 

21st—Rhyx Alath: He causes croup in infants and is 
dispelled if the word “Rarideris” is written down and car- 
ried on a person. 

22nd—Rhyx Audameoth: He causes heart pain and is 
dispatched by the written word “Raiouoth.” 

23rd—Rhyx Manthado: He causes kidney disease and 
is thwarted by the written words “laoth, Uriel.” 

24th—Rhyx Atonkme: He causes rib pain. If a person 
writes “Marmaraoth of mist” on a piece of wood from a 
ship that has run aground, the demon retreats. 

25th—Rhyx Anatreth: He causes bowel distress and is 
quelled by the words “Arara, Arare.” 

26th—Rhyx, the Enautha: He alters hearts and “makes 
off? with minds. He is thwarted by the written word 
“Kalazael.” 

27th—Rhyx Axesbuth: He causes diarrhea and hemor- 
rhoids. If he is adjured in pure wine given to the sufferer, 
he retreats. 

28th—Rhyx Hapax: He causes insomnia and is sub- 
dued by the written words “Kok; Phedisomos.” 

29th—Rhyx Anoster: He causes hysteria and bladder 
pain and is thwarted when someone mashes laurel seeds 
into oil, massages it into the body, and calls upon Mama- 
roth. 

30th—Rhyx Physikoreth: He causes long-terms ill- 
nesses but retreats when the sick person massages his or 
her body with salted olive oil while saying, “Cherubim, 
seraphim, help me.” 

3lst—Rhyx Aleureth: He causes choking on fish 
bones. If one places a fish bone into the breasts of the 
afflicted one, the demon retreats. 

32nd—Rhyx Ichthuron: He detaches tendons and 
retreats when he hears the words “Adaonai, malthe.” 

33rd—Rhyx Achoneoth: He causes sore throats and 
tonsillitis. He is sent away by writing “Leikourgos” on ivy 
leaves and heaping them into a pile. 

34th—Rhyx Autoth: He causes jealousy and fights 
between people who love each other. He is subdued by 
writing the letters alpha and beta. 

35th—Rhyx Phtheneoth: He cast the evil eye on every- 
one and is thwarted by the “much suffering eye” amulet. 

36th—Rhyx Mianeth: He holds grudges against the 
body, causes flesh to rot, and demolishes houses. He flees 
when the words “Melto Ardad Anaath” are written on the 
front of the house. 


King Solomon orders the demons of the decans to bear 
water and prays that they will go to the Temple of God 
Jerusalem). 


Magical Handbooks 

The Testament provides a significant contribution to the 
legends of Solomon's magical powers and the magical 
handbooks attributed to Solomon. The two most important 
magical handbooks, or GRIMOIRES, are the Key of Solomon, 
also called the Greater Key of Solomon, and the Lemegeton, 
or Lesser Key of Solomon, said to be based on Solomonic 
wisdom. Many other grimoires borrow from these texts. 


FURTHER READING: 

The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vols. 1 & 2. Edited by 
James H. Charlesworth. 1983. Reprint, New York: Dou- 
bleday, 1985. 


Sons of God FALLEN ANGELS known as the WATCHERS. 

Genesis 6:1-4 states, “The sons of God, looking at the 
daughters of men, saw they were pleasing, so they mar- 
ried as many as they chose.” The cohabitation produces a 
race of giants called NEPHILIM (also sometimes called the 
Sons of God) and leads to great corruption among hu- 
mans. Yahweh is not pleased at the mixture of his spirit 
with flesh and casts the offending angels out of heaven. 
The corruption leads to God’s decision to destroy life on 
the Earth with the flood. 

In other biblical references, Sons of God are good an- 
gels shouting for joy when the morning stars sing (Job 
38:7), and the Chosen People (Exodus 4:22; Wisdom 
18:33), individual Israelites (Deuteronomy 14:1; Hosiah 
2:1), and their leaders (Psalms 82:6). 


FURTHER READING: 

Godwin, Malcolm. Angels: An Endangered Species. New York: 
Simon & Schuster, 1990. 

Graves, Robert, and Raphael Patai. Hebrew Myths. New York: 
Doubleday Anchor, 1964. 

Ibn Taymeeyahs Essay on the Jinn (Demons.) Abridged, anno- 
tated, and translated by Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips. 
New Delhi: Islamic Book Service, 2002. 


Sorath DEMON angel who is the spirit of the Sun and 
whose number is 666. 

RUDOLF STEINER said Sorath is the Sun-demon of Rev- 
elation, a great evil power far mightier than LUCIFER and 
AHRIMAN. He predicted that after the turn of the millen- 
nium, spiritual people would be able to see the Sun-Genius, 
the etheric vision of Christ. In response, Sorath will fo- 
ment opposition through men who are possessed by him, 
who have strong natures, raving tongues, destructive fury 
in their emotions, and faces, which outwardly appear like 
those of animals. They will mock that which is of a spiri- 
tual nature. The mystery of Sorath and his number 666 
holds the secret of black MAGIC. The power by which the 
Sun-Genius overcomes Sorath is the archangel Michael, 
who has the key to the abyss and the chain in his hand. 

See SIX-SIX-SIX. 


sorcery A magical art involving spell casting with the 
help of spirits, including DEMONs, and often associated 


244 Spare, Austin Osman 


with WITCHCRAFT. Sorcery is derived from the French 
word sors, which means “spell.” 

Sorcery is engaged to influence one’s lot in the world: 
love, fertility, luck, health, and wealth; protection against 
disaster, outsiders, and enemies; redress of wrongs and 
the meting out of justice; control of the environment; 
and explanations of frightening phenomena. Sorcerers 
have the power to harm, curse, and kill and to counteract 
spells cast by other sorcerers or practitioners of magic. 
They make use of FAMILIARs, sending them on magical 
errands to fulfill their spells. They have shape-shifting 
powers. 

Goetic sorcery in Western magic is based on the 72 
SPIRITS OF SOLOMON, also called FALLEN ANGELS. Details 
of their duties, characteristics, and SEALs are given in the 
Lemegeton, a grimoire attributed to Solomon but probably 
written much later than his time. 


Spare, Austin Osman (1888-1956) English magician 
who expressed his occult vision in strange and sometimes 
frightening art. Austin Osman Spare’s talent for art was 
widely acknowledged and even called genius. He could 
have pursued a conventional artist’s career but instead 
chose to devote himself to creating images of DEMONs and 
spirits raised up from deep levels of consciousness. 

Spare was born on December 31, 1888, in London; 
his father was a City of London policeman. He left 
school at age 13 and worked for a time ina stained glass 
factory. He obtained a scholarship to the Royal College 
of Art in Kensington and enjoyed success as an artist 
by 1909. 

The seeds for Spare’s occult life were sewn early in 
childhood. Alienated from his mother, he gravitated to- 
ward a mysterious old woman named Mrs. Paterson. She 
claimed to be a hereditary witch descended froma line of 
Salem witches who escaped execution during the witch 
trials in 1692—an unlikely claim, considering that the 
Salem incident was perpetrated by hysterical children. 
The young Spare referred to her as his “witch-mother.” 
Later, he said that she possessed great skill in divination 
and had the ability to materialize her thoughts. 

Mrs. Paterson taught Spare how to visualize and evoke 
spirits and elementals and how to reify, or interpret, his 
dream imagery. Information was transmitted in dreams 
with the help of Mrs. Paterson’s FAMILIAR, Black Eagle. 
She also initiated Spare in a witches’ SABBAT, which he 
described as taking place in another dimension, where 
cities were constructed of an unearthly geometry. Spare 
said he attended such sabbats several times. 

Under further tutelage of Mrs. Paterson, Spare devel- 
oped his own system of MAGIC, based heavily on will and 
sex—his own Sex drive was quite intense—and the works 
of ALEISTER CROWLEY. 

When Mrs. Paterson died, Black Eagle was passed to 
Spare. For practitioners of the Left Hand Path, Black Eagle 
is seen as a “vampyre spirit” of the dream or astral plane. 


Black Eagle can be summoned by ritual involving intense 
concentration of will, desire, and belief. It manifests in 
different forms, including bestial and demonic. 

Spare believed that the power of will is capable of ful- 
filling any deeply held desire. The formula, simpler than 
ceremonial magic, was in his unpublished grimoire, “The 
Book of the Living Word of Zos.” The formula called for 
creating sigils, or talismans, in an “alphabet of desire.” 
The desire is written down in full. Repeating letters are 
crossed out, and the remaining letters are combined into a 
sigil like a sort of monogram. The sigil is impressed upon 
the subconscious by staring at it. The original desire is 
then let go so that the “god within” can work undisturbed 
toward the desired end. 

According to one story, Spare once told a friend he 
would conjure freshly cut roses to fall from the air. His 
magic involved creating some symbolic drawings, which 
he waved in the air while repeating “roses.” He got results, 
but they were unexpected. The plumbing in the room 
overhead burst, and Spare and his friend were dowsed 
by sewage. 

In his art, Spare is best known for his atavisms, the 
reifying of primal forces from previous existences, drawn 
from the deepest layers of the human mind. This, too, 
was a product of his education from Mrs. Paterson. Ac- 
cording to another story, one of his atavisms caused the 
suicide of one witness and the insanity of another. 

Despite his ability to paint the spirits and images he 
saw, Spare was occasionally at a loss for words to describe 
some of his more bizarre experiences. Some of his visions 
put him into a place that he was able only to describe as 
“spaces beyond space.” 

In 1956, the English Witch Gerald B. Gardner (see 
WITCHCRAFT) contacted Spare for his help in a magical 
war with Kenneth Grant. Gardner believed that Grant 
was stealing his witches for his own New Isis Lodge, and 
he decided to launch a magical attack on him and reclaim 
his witches. In particular, Gardner wanted back a self- 
proclaimed “water-witch” named Clanda. It was the last 
year of Spare’s life, and by then he was living in dire pov- 
erty and obscurity, eking out a living by painting por- 
traits in local pubs. 

Using his “alphabet of desire,” Spare created a talis- 
man for Gardner that would “restore lost property to its 
rightful place,” which Spare himself described as “a sort 
of amphibious owl with the wings of a bat and talons of 
an eagle.” Gardner did not give Spare specific information 
as to the exact nature of the “lost property”; he knew that 
Spare and Grant were on friendly terms. 

During a Black Isis rite at the New Isis Temple, 
Clanda experienced the apparent negative effects of the 
talisman. Her role was to lie passively on the altar. In- 
stead, she sat up, sweating and with a hypnotized and 
glazed look in her eyes. She behaved as though in the 
grip of terror, convulsing and shuddering. Later, she de- 
scribed what she experienced: the appearance of a huge 


Spirit of Odléans 245 


bird that gripped her in its talons and carried her off into 
the night. She struggled and broke free, falling back onto 
the altar. The attending magicians saw none of this, but 
they did hear what sounded like the talons of a large bird 
scrabbling against the wind, and they felt a cold wind 
rush about the room. Physical talon marks were found on 
the window frame, and the windowsill was covered with 
a strange, gelatinous substance that seemed to breathe on 
its own. A strong odor of the sea permeated the temple 
for days. 

As for Clanda, she failed to return to Gardner. Instead, 
she moved to New Zealand, where she drowned. 

Some of Spare’s work appears in two quarterly art 
review magazines he edited, Form and Golden Hind. He 
wrote three books that were published: The Book of Plea- 
sure (Self-love), the Psychology of Ecstasy (1913) and The 
Focus of Life (1921), both of which dealt with his magic 
system, and A Book of Automatic Drawing, published post- 
humously in 1972. The Book of Ugly Ecstasy (1996) in- 
cludes Spare’s drawing of demonic beings and automata 
he discovered on the astral plane, formed by astral semen 
and stored sexual energy. 

Spare spent most of his life as a recluse, living in pov- 
erty in London. He was remote and detached, preferring 
the company of his cats to that of human beings. He is 
considered a source of modern chaos magic. 


FURTHER READING: 

Cavendish, Richard, and Brian Innes, eds. Man, Myth and 
Magic. Rev. ed. North Bellmore, N.Y.: Marshall Caven- 
dish, 1995. 

Ford, Michael W. Luciferian Witchcraft. Lulu.com, 2005. 

Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. The Encyclopedia of Witches and 
Witchcraft. 3rd ed. New York: Facts On File, 2008. 

King, Francis. Megatherion: The Magickal World of Aleister 
Crowley. London: Creation Books, 2004. 


Spirit of Orléans (1534) Fraudulent EXORCISM plot 
perpetrated by Franciscan monks in Orléans, France, for 
money. 

In the 16th century, it was customary to follow certain 
procedures in funeral rites that gave employment to men- 
dicant monks. Soon after a person’s death, funeral criers 
were hired to go about a town and proclaim the death, 
urge people to pray, and announce the time and place of 
the burial. Monks were hired for the funeral procession 
to carry lights. An elaborate procession, with many hired 
monks, enhanced the importance of the deceased and the 
family. 

In 1534, the wife of the mayor of Orléans died. She 
had specified in her will that she did not wish to have an 
elaborate funeral and burial with a large procession and 
huge crowd. Her husband honored her wishes, and so no 
monks were hired. Instead, the woman was buried at the 
Franciscan church with only her husband and father in 
attendance. Her husband paid the monks six gold pieces, 
far less than they had hoped to earn. 


The monks might have let it pass, save for another insult. 
Not long afterward, the mayor had some trees cut down to 
sell as logs. The Franciscans asked for free wood, and he re- 
fused. They decided to get revenge by convincing him that 
the soul of his wife was damned and required exorcisms. 

A novice monk was stationed above the vault of the 
church. Late at night, when the monks arrived to pray, he 
made a great racket. Adjurations and exorcisms were to 
no avail. Instead, he made noises to indicate that he was 
a mute spirit. 

With this fiction established by performance, the 
monks went to prominent citizens who were supporters 
of the Franciscans and said that a terrible thing was hap- 
pening at their church. They invited people to go and see 
for themselves during evening prayers. 

The novice performed again, indicating that he could 
not speak but could answer questions with signs—mak- 
ing loud rapping noises. Through a secret hole, he could 
hear the questions to the “spirit” posed by the EXORCIST. 
Thus, the novice indicated that he was the spirit of the 
mayor's dead wife, and her soul was condemned because 
of the heresy of her Lutheranism, and her body should be 
dug up and transferred to another place. 

The monks asked the witnesses to sign a record to this 
effect. However, the citizens refused out of fear of offending 
the mayor. Nonetheless, the monks moved house to con- 
duct their masses elsewhere, a practice they were entitled to 
do if a church had been profaned and needed purification. 

The bishop sent a judge and committee of noted per- 
sons to investigate. The judge ordered that the exorcisms 
be performed in his presence and that someone climb up 
into the vault to see whether any spirit could be detected. 
The monks objected, saying that the spirit of the dead 
woman should not be disturbed. Nor would they perform 
the exorcisms in the presence of the judge. 

The mayor reported all of this to the king of France, 
who sent members of the Parisian senate to investigate. 
Other investigators were sent by Chancelor Anton du 
Prat, a cardinal and papal legate to France. 

The monks were summoned to Paris and interrogated, 
but they refused to cooperate, hiding behind religious 
privileges and immunities. The novice kept his silence, 
fearing death at the hands of the monks if he betrayed 
them, until the king promised him immunity and said he 
would not be sent back to the Franciscans if he told the 
truth. The novice confessed all and repeated his confes- 
sion in the presence of his fellow conspirators. 

The monks were returned to Orléans and sent to jail. 
They were paraded through town and forced to confess 
their crime in public. 

The incident became the basis for a proverb whenever 
a lie was told: “It’s the spirit of Orléans.” 


FURTHER READING: 

Weyer, Johann. On Witchcraft (De praestigiis daemonum). 
Abridged. Edited by Benjamin G. Kohl and H. C. Erik 
Midelfort. Asheville, N.C.: Pegasus Press, 1998. 


246 spirits of Solomon 


spirits of Solomon Seventy-two DEMONS or DJINN cap- 
tured by the legendary King SOLOMON, who imprisoned 
them in a brass vessel and cast it into the sea. The vessel 
was discovered by Babylonians, who believed it con- 
tained a great treasure. When they broke open the ves- 
sel, the demons and their legions were set free, and they 
returned to their home. One exception was BELIAL, who 
entered an image and delivered oracles in exchange for 
sacrifices and divine honors. 

The Lemegeton, or Lesser Key of Solomon, is a grimoire 
that gives instructions for the evocation of the 72 spirits. 
They are also known as the Spirits of the Brazen Vessel 
and the False Monarchy of Demons. Combined, the spir- 
its accomplish “all abominations.” 

The 72 spirits are, in the order they were commanded 
into the brazen vessel (see individual entries): 


Bael Glasyalabolas Perocel 
Agares Bune Fureas 
Vassago Ronove Balam 
Gamagin Berith Alloces 
Marbas Astaroth Caim 
Valefor Forneus Murmur 
Amon Foras Orobas 
Barbatos Asmoday Gemory 
Paimon Gaap Ose 

Buer Furfur Amy 
Gusion Marchosias Orias 

Sitri Stolas Vapula 
Beleth Phoenix Zagan 
Lerayou Halpas Valac 
Eligor Malpas Andras 
Zepar Raum Flauros 
Botis Focalor Andrealphus 
Bathin Vepar Cimeies 
Saleos Sabnack Amduscias 
Purson Shax Belial 
Morax Vine Decarabia 
Ipos Bifrons Seere 

Aim Vual Dantalion 
Naberius Haagenti Andromalius 


FURTHER READING: 
Waite, Arthur Edward. The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts. 
1899. Reprint, York Beach, Me.: Samuel Weiser, 1972. 


Stanton Drew Standing stones in Somerset, England, 
associated with a legend of the DEVIL. The Stanton Drew 
stones consist of three stone circles, two stone avenues, a 
cove, and a fallen stone called Hautville’s Quoit. 
According to lore, a wedding was held one Saturday, 
and the guests danced late into the night. At midnight, 
the fiddler stopped and said he could not play on the sab- 
bath. A mysterious dark man appeared and continued 
the fiddling, and the guests danced faster and faster, un- 
able to stop. At dawn, the music suddenly stopped, and 


the mysterious man was revealed to be the Devil himself. 
The guests were unable to flee. The Devil told them that 
one day he would return to play for them again. Until 
that day, the guests are frozen in place as the standing 
stones. 


FURTHER READING: 
Bord, Janet, and Colin Bord. Mysterious Britain. London: 
Granada, 1974. 


Steiner, Rudolf (1861-1925) Philosopher, artist, sci- 
entist, and educator who developed the spiritual science 
of Anthroposophy, blending occultism, esoteric Christi- 
anity, and elements of ZOROASTRIANISM. At one point in 
his life, Rudolf Steiner faced a serious inner struggle with 
the forces of darkness. 

Steiner was born to Austrian parents on February 27, 
1861, in Kraljevic, Hungary. His father, a railway clerk, 
hoped Rudolf would become a railway civil engineer, but 
an early manifestation of psychic gifts set him on a differ- 
ent path. Steiner began to experience clairvoyance at the 
age of eight. When he was 19, an adept whose identity was 
never revealed initiated him into the occult. 

Steiner joined the Theosophical Society and was active 
for about a decade before becoming disillusioned with in- 
ternal rivalries and pettiness and with its emphasis on 
Eastern mysticism. 

In 1913, Steiner formed the Anthroposophical Soci- 
ety, taking some members with him from the Theoso- 
phists. He described his path as one leading to spiri- 
tual growth on four levels of human nature: the senses, 
imagination, inspiration, and intuition. In Dornach, 
near Basel, Switzerland, he established the Goethea- 
num, a school for esoteric research, where he intended 
to produce Goethe’s dramas and his own mystery plays. 
The building burned down in 1920 but was rebuilt in 
1922 and now serves as the international headquarters 
for the organization. 

For the last 25 years of his life, Steiner traveled around 
Europe and Great Britain, giving more than 6,000 lec- 
tures. His published works include more than 350 titles, 
most of which are collections of lectures. His key works 
outlining his occult philosophy are Knowledge of the 
Higher Worlds and Its Attainment (1904-05), Theosophy: 
An Introduction to the Supersensible Knowledge of the World 
and the Destination of Man (1904), and An Outline of Occult 
Science (1909). 


Spiritual Philosophy 
Up to age 40, Steiner devoted himself to pursuing his in- 
ner development and forming his spiritual science and 
philosophy. He developed his inner abilities to experi- 
ence spiritual realms and beings. He spent time explor- 
ing the Akashic Records, the repository of all information 
in creation. 

He was greatly influenced by Johann Willhelm von 
Goethe, the author of a version of FAUST. 


St. Louis Exorcism 247 


At 40, Steiner felt he was ready to speak publicly about 
his spiritual philosophy, his clairvoyant experiences, and 
what he learned from them. By this time, he had gained 
much experience in the nonphysical realms through pro- 
found meditation. He said that at one time humankind 
was more spiritual and possessed supernormal capabili- 
ties but lost them on the descent to the material plane. 
At the lowest point of human descent, JESUS arrived and 
provided the opportunity to reascend to higher spiritual 
levels. For Steiner, the life, death, and Resurrection of 
Christ were the most important events in the history of 
humankind and the cosmos. However, the Gospels did 
not contain the complete story. 

Steiner envisioned humanity as following a path of 
higher consciousness, guided by ANGELs, intelligences, 
and a host of spiritual beings. One of the most important 
is the archangel Michael, who guides the way to cosmic 
enlightenment, through which humanity will respiritual- 
ize the earth. 

The old Christian spirituality will fall apart. Without 
a new spiritual vision, humanity will be overpowered and 
numbed by technology. Higher beings will help humanity 
form the new spiritual vision by sending impulses, but 
only if humans ask for help and cooperate. Meanwhile, 
Luciferic and Ahrimanic beings—forces of darkness and 
chaos—will constantly challenge angelic forces in human 
thought, sense, and will, thus making it crucial to learna 
discerning spiritual science. 

Steiner remarked in a lecture on April 4, 1912, that 
without new spiritual impulses, technology will not only 
dominate our outer life, but overpower and numb us. It 
will drive out the religious, philosophical, artistic, and 
ethical interests and turn us into “living automata.” Many 
people today, even highly educated ones, are already 
unwitting slaves of outer material conditions, he said. 
FALLEN ANGELS—active in the information and computer 
technologies and economic networks—spread evil over 
the earth through racism and nationalism, though their 
approach is so subtle and intimate that people think they 
are not influenced by them. 


Luciferic and Ahrimanic Beings 

Steiner called beings that encourage destruction through 
vices Luciferic spirits. Still other spirits wish people to re- 
main mired in a materialistic, mechanistic world. These 
spirits Steiner called “Ahrimanic” beings, after AHRIMAN, 
the Persian personification of evil. He links LUCIFER with 
air and warmth, and Ahriman with earth and cold. The 
changes of seasons reveal the eternal struggle between 
the two forces. 

Steiner faced serious inner battles with evil forces and 
felt that his ultimate victory over them was his immersion 
in the esoteric mysteries of Christ. He warned that the 
spiritual path to higher consciousness entails such bat- 
tles. He noted that people strongly resist taking responsi- 
bility to fight on the inner plane, preferring to project the 
battle out onto imagined enemies. Every thousand years 


as a new millennium approaches, Luciferic and Ahri- 
manic beings make particularly strong attacks on human 
progress. Our fear and projections make us increasingly 
susceptible to spiritual debasement, mental slavery, and 
mass hysteria. 

Steiner thought that the greatest challenge of the mod- 
ern age is to understand the polarity between Lucifer and 
Ahriman. Modern consciousness understands the polar- 
ity between God and the DEVIL and heaven and HELL. To 
strive toward either extreme is not good. Humanity must 
find balance in the middle. 

Chaos, in which Luciferic and Ahrimanic forces par- 
ticipate, is necessary for human evolution, but highly an- 
tisocial. Steiner’s commitment to “higher civility” spurred 
his reappraisal of human relations. At Dornach, a sculp- 
ture shows the Representative of Man standing between 
Lucifer and Ahriman. People can achieve this balance by 
paying attention to those who have educated, befriended, 
and even injured them. Steiner said on October 10, 1916, 
that, as a rule, people do not encounter anyone they have 
not met in previous incarnations. Likes and dislikes are 
great enemies of real social relations. Condemning a per- 
son obliterates a karmic relationship entirely, postponing 
it to a next incarnation, and no progress can be made. 

Steiner explains that Ahrimanic beings are highly in- 
telligent, extraordinarily clever, and wise. They act be- 
hind the veil of nature and work to destroy the human 
physical organism by fomenting destruction and hatred. 
Sensuous urges and impulses are enhanced. They replace 
thinking by all kinds of lower organism powers, espe- 
cially the impulse to lie. 

The Luciferic beings do everything to foster egoism 
within people and a passion for creating and bringing 
things into existence. Steiner insists that future evolution 
will be endangered if the Luciferic and Ahrimanic beings 
are not recognized and counteracted by spiritual science. 

See SORATH. 


FURTHER READING: 

McDermott, Robert A., ed. The Essential Steiner San Fran- 
cisco: Harper & Row, 1984. 

Sheperd, A. P. Rudolf Steiner: Scientist of the Invisible. 1954. 
Reprint, Rochester, Vt.: Inner Traditions International, 
1983. 

Steiner, Rudolf. An Autobiography. New trans. Blauvelt, N.Y.: 
Rudolf Steiner, 1977. 

. The Four Seasons and the Archangels. Bristol, Eng- 

land: Rudolf Steiner Press, 1992. 

. Planetary Spheres and Their Influence on Mans Life on 

Earth and in the Spiritual Worlds. London: Rudolf Steiner 

Press, 1982. 


St. Louis Exorcism (1949) | Complex POSSESSION case that 
inspired the novel and movie The Exorcist, variously inter- 
preted as one of demonic possession, POLTERGEIST activity, 
and delusion. Many of the details of the case remain secret, 
and all of the principal EXORCISTs involved in it have died. 


248 St. Louis Exorcism 


Some experts believe that there was no demonic posses- 
sion and that the events could be explained by poltergeist 
activity, Tourette's syndrome, or even mental illness. 

The DEMONIAC was a 13-year-old boy, pseudonymously 
known as Robbie Doe. He was born in 1935 to a family 
in Cottage City, Maryland, a suburban community near 
Washington, D.C. He hada troubled childhood. His mother 
was Lutheran, and his father was a lapsed Catholic. 

In January 1949 the family began to be disturbed by 
scratching sounds coming from the ceilings and walls of 
their house. Thinking that they had mice, the Does called 
an exterminator. This man could find no signs of rodents, 
and his efforts failed to end the scratching, which only 
became louder. Noises that sounded like someone walk- 
ing about in squeaky shoes began to be heard in the hall. 
Dishes and furniture moved for no evident reason. 

Then Robbie began to be attacked. His bed shook so 
hard that he could not sleep. His bedclothes were repeat- 
edly pulled off the bed, and once, when he tried to hold 
on to them, he was pulled off onto the floor after them. 

The Does made a connection to the recent death on 
January 26, 1949, of Robbie’s Aunt Tillie in St. Louis, 
which had devastated the boy. Tillie, a Spiritualist, had 
interested Robbie in the paranormal, and they had used 
the OUJA™ board together. Robbie may have used the 
Ouija™ to try to communicate with his dead aunt. 

Convinced that an evil spirit was behind the distur- 
bances, the Does consulted their Lutheran minister, Lu- 
ther Schulze. Schulze prayed with Robbie and his parents 
in their home and then with Robbie alone in his home. He 
led prayers for Robbie in church. Schulze ordered what- 
ever was possessing the boy to leave him in the name of 
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, but the affliction 
continued. 

Robbie’s torments increased. He could not sleep be- 
cause of the weird noises and movements of objects day 
and night. In February, Schulze offered to let Robbie 
spend a night in his house, to which his parents agreed. 

That night, Mrs. Schulze went to a guest room, while 
Robbie and the Reverend retired to twin four-poster beds 
in the master bedroom. Some time in the night, Schulze 
heard Robbie's bed creaking. He grasped the bed and felt 
it vibrating rapidly. Robbie himself was wide awake but 
was lying absolutely still. 

Schulze put Robbie to sleep in an armchair, and before 
long, the heavy chair began to move. It scooted backward 
several inches and then slammed into a wall. It turned in 
slow motion and sent Robbie to the floor. Schulze noticed 
that Robbie appeared to be in a trance and made no effort 
to move out of the chair. 

Schulze persuaded Robbie’s parents to send him to 
Georgetown Medical Hospital, where he underwent med- 
ical and psychological evaluation from February 28 to 
March 3. Robbie acted wildly and, according to some re- 
ports, the message “Go to St. Louis!” appeared scratched 
on his skin in blood-red letters. 


Robbie’s parents took him by train to St. Louis, where 
they stayed with relatives. There they consulted Jesuits. 
Father Raymond J. Bishop came to the house to bless Rob- 
bie but quickly saw that the situation was far worse than 
INFESTATION. Bishop consulted Father William Bowdern, 
and the two went to Archbishop Joseph E. Ritter and re- 
quested an EXORCISM. The request was granted. 


Exorcisms 

Robbie’s exorcisms began on March 16 at the home of his 
relatives on Roanoke Drive. More and more, Robbie acted 
like someone suffering from full demonic possession. He 
coughed up phlegm and drooled. Painful, bloody welts and 
scratches mysteriously appeared on his body. He cursed, 
vomited, spit, urinated, and made physical attacks on the 
exorcists, exhibiting unusual strength. He appeared to be 
cured and then relapsed into vile and violent behavior. 
When the episodes were over, he had no recall of them. 

On March 21, Bowdern had Robbie taken to the 
Alexian Brothers Hospital and placed in a room in the se- 
curity ward. The exorcism resumed in tight secrecy over 
the course of several weeks. It is not known how many 
people participated. Among the witnesses were Father 
William Van Roo and Father Charles O'Hara. Also pres- 
ent at various times were hospital staff and seminarians, 
among them Walter Halloran, whose help Bowdern had 
requested. 

On April 1, Robbie was taken to the St. Francis Xavier 
Church (no longer in existence) to be baptized into the 
Catholic faith, a move that Bowdern thought would help 
the progress. However, Robbie went berserk on the way 
to the church, and Bowdern decided not to let him enter, 
lest he desecrate the premises. The boy was taken to the 
rectory instead. Despite his vomiting of BLOOD and mu- 
cous, and his struggling and shouting of obscenities, the 
baptism proceeded, followed eventually by a successful 
communion. 

After several weeks of repeated progress and relapse, 
Robbie’s behavior changed for the better. The turning 
point was a dream Robbie had of a fierce, sword-bearing 
ANGEL who made snarling DEMONs vanish. In April, the 
exorcism was declared a success. 

Robbie returned to Maryland with his parents and re- 
sumed a normal life with no further episodes of any para- 
normal or supernatural phenomena. His father rededi- 
cated himself to Catholicism, and his mother converted. 
Robbie lives in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. 


Aftermath 

Bishop recorded details of the exorcisms in a diary. The 
church never intended for the case to be made public, 
but it was leaked to the media by Schulze. William Peter 
Blatty was a student at Georgetown University in Wash- 
ington in August 1949 when he read an Associated Press 
account of the case in the Washington Post. Intrigued, 
he compiled as much information as he could about it. 
Twenty years later, he used it as the basis for his best-sell- 


succubus 249 


ing novel The Exorcist, changing many details and adding 
fictional ones. 

The Exorcist was published in 1971 and was made 
into a film directed by William Friedkin and released 
in 1973. Blatty wrote the screenplay. During the film- 
ing, most of the cast and crew had strange experiences 
and misfortunes, including the news of nine deaths of 
people they knew. The movie terrified audiences, some 
of whom consulted medical and spiritual help out of fear 
of possession. Critics said the film itself was evil. The 
movie led to two sequels, the second of which was di- 
rected by Blatty. 

In 2000, anew film version of The Exorcist was released, 
written and directed again by Blatty and Friedkin. Fried- 
kin decided to show the face of the possessing demon, an 
effect which ruined the horror for many viewers. 


Divided Opinions 

Numerous inaccurate stories and legends have arisen 
around the case, and opinions still are divided as to what 
really happened. Critics have said that Robbie failed to 
meet criteria of possession set by the Catholic Church: 
prophecy and speaking in foreign languages. In addition, 
his feats of unusual strength were not thought to be char- 
acteristic of the supernormal strength usually exhibited 
by demoniacs. 

During his involvement, Schulze had contacted para- 
psychologists J. B. and Louisa Rhine of Durham, North 
Carolina. The Rhines drove to St. Louis, but the phenom- 
ena had ceased by the time they arrived. Nonetheless, 
Rhine thought the case was one of “recurrent spontane- 
ous psychokinesis,” a type of poltergeist activity caused 
by unwitting psychokinetic outbursts from a living per- 
son. Rhine suggested that the phenomena were expres- 
sions of Robbie’s own unconscious ability to influence 
objects in his environment and his own body through the 
power of his mind. 

Bowdern never spoke about the case except to ac- 
knowledge that he believed it to be a true case of demonic 
possession. He died in 1983 at age 86. Bishop died in 1978 
at age 72. Halloran, who burned his copy of Bishop’s di- 
ary, stated that he did not believe that Robbie was pos- 
sessed, but later said he was not enough of an expert to 
know. Toward the end of his life, he said mental illness 
probably could not explain all of the phenomena put to- 
gether. Halloran died in 2005 at age 83. 

Robbie himself has remained quiet about his ex- 
periences. With the principal exorcists dead and no 
further testimony from Doe himself, the case remains 
controversial. 


FURTHER READING: 

Allen, Thomas B. Possessed: The True Story of an Exorcism. 
New York: Doubleday, 1993. Revised edition, iUniverse, 
2000. 

Blatty, William Peter. William Peter Blatty on The Exorcist. 
New York: Bantam, 1974. 


Chorvinsky, Mark. “Return to the Haunted Boy: The Exor- 
cist Case Update.” Strange Magazine 21. Available online 
by subscription only. URL: http://www.strangemag.com/. 
Downloaded October 7, 2006. 

Opsasnick, Mark. “The Haunted Boy of Cottage City.” 
Strange Magazine 20 (1999): 4-27. 

“Report of a Poltergeist.” Parapsychology Bulletin 15 (1949): 
2-3. 

Taylor, Troy. The Devil Came to St. Louis: The True Story of the 
1949 Exorcism. Alton, Ill.: Whitechapel Productions Press, 
2006. 


succubus A DEMON who takes the form of a beautiful 
woman in order to seduce men. 

The succubus, along with its male counterpart, the 
INCUBUS, appears in ancient mythologies. Succubi appear 
in the flesh as beautiful, voluptuous women. They visit 
men in their sleep—especially men who sleep alone—and 
cause erotic dreams, nightmares, and nocturnal emissions. 
During the European witch hunts, succubi were agents of 
the DEVIL, who continually tempted men to commit sexual 
sins, sometimes by promising them immortality in return. 

Succubi were not as prevalent as incubi in witch hunt 
cases. The prevailing belief of the time was that women 
were more licentious than men and, therefore, offered 
more opportunity for incubi. If a succubus assaulted a 
man, it was probably not his fault, according to demon- 
ologists of the day. 

NICHOLAS REMY wrote in Demonolatry of a succubus 
case that happened in 1581. A man named Petrone Ar- 
menterious of Dalheim was persuaded by a succubus, 
Abrahel, to murder his son. He was so overcome with 
grief and guilt that he contemplated suicide. Abrahel told 
him that if he worshipped her, he would restore the boy to 
life. He complied, and his son returned to the living. But 
it was all an illusion, for the boy suddenly died again and 
immediately stank abominably. 

The sex act itself with a succubus was said to be an 
awful experience, like penetrating a cavern of ice. Some- 
times, a succubus was really an incubus in disguise, 
who collected a man’s semen and used it to impregnate a 
woman. Some believed that sex with succubi could pro- 
duce demon children. The Hebrew night demon, LILITH, 
bore an infinite number of demon sons this way. 

Men accused of witchcraft were tortured until they 
confessed having sex with demons, among other demonic 
crimes. In 1468, in Bologna, Italy, a man was executed for 
allegedly running a brothel of succubi. 

The MALLEUS MALEFICARUM (1487), the chief inquisitors’ 
handbook, set forth five ways to get rid of a succubus: 


e by reciting the Ave Maria 

e by making a sacramental confession 

¢ by making the sign of the cross 

e by moving to a new home 

e by having a priest or holy man excommunicate the 
demon 


250 Surin, Jean-Joseph 


The Lord’s Prayer and holy water also were said to 
work a cure. 

FRANCESCO-MARIA GUAZZO wrote of one alleged suc- 
cubus incident in Compendium Maleficarum (1608), in 
which a succubus forced herself on a young man near 
Aberdeen, Scotland. The succubus visited him in bed 
every night and stayed until dawn. The young man 
claimed that he tried to get rid of the succubus, but to no 
avail. Finally, the local bishop ordered him to go away to 
another place and devote himself to prayer and fasting. 
After several days, the young man said the succubus left 
him. 

At the end of the 17th century, an odd lawsuit was 
tried in court in Posen, Germany. A young man forced his 
way into the cellar of a locked home and was later found 
dead on the threshold. Demons then set up housekeeping 
inside and created severe disturbances. The owners of the 
home were frightened into leaving. 

Local exorcists failed to expel the demons, and so an 
expert was summoned, Rabbi Joel Baal Shem of Zamosz. 
He was able to induce the demons to disclose their iden- 
tity. They claimed the house belonged to them, and they 
demanded the opportunity to prove it in a court of law. 
The case was tried with Rabbi Joel and an invisible de- 
mon advocate, who could be heard. 

According to the demons, the previous owner of the 
home had engaged in intercourse with a succubus, who 
had borne hybrid children. The man was persuaded by a 
rabbi to break off his affair, but the demon demanded that 
the cellar be given to it and the offspring as inheritance. 
The man and all his heirs were now dead, and the demon 
children demanded possession of the house. 

The new homeowners said they had lawfully purchased 
the house. The demon children were not legitimate “seed 
of men” and so had no legal rights. In addition, the demon 
had forced the previous owner into sexual relations. 

The court decided against the demons, saying that 
their abodes were deserts and wastelands, not the homes 
of men. Rabbi Joel performed ExorcIsMs that drove away 
the demons. 


FURTHER READING: 

Guazzo, Francesco-Maria. Compendium Maleficarum. Secau- 
cus, N.J.: University Books, 1974. 

The Malleus Maleficarum of Heinrich Kramer and James 
Sprenger. New York: Dover, 1971. 

Remy, Nicholas. Demonolatry. Secaucus, N.J.: University 
Books, 1974. 


Surin, Jean-Joseph (1600-1665) French priest and 
mystic who became involved in the LOUDUN POSSESSIONS 
of Ursuline nuns during 1630-34. Father Jean-Joseph 
Surin became possessed himself, and his health was 
adversely affected for the rest of his life. 

Surin was unsuited to deal with DEMONIACs because 
of a neurotic temperament brought on by years of ascetic 
practices. He probably should have avoided the case, but 


he felt compelled, even obsessed, to do battle with DE- 
MONs. He spent his entire life as a virgin. 

Surin was drawn to the religious life at an early age. 
He was reared in a cloister and attended the College of 
Bordeaux, where he was a contemporary of Father UR- 
BAIN GRANDIER, who left the school in 1617. Grandier was 
burned at the stake during the Loudun Possessions. Surin 
practiced self-denial during his early years as a priest, de- 
nying himself food, sleep, and social contact. He served 
in Rouen and then spent four years in the fishing village 
of Marennes, where he was director to two women who 
had remarkable visions and ecstasies that captured his 
attention. 

By the time he arrived in Loudun on December 15, 
1634, Grandier had been executed. Surin, at age 34, was 
in poor health, suffering severe headaches, muscle pain, 
melancholy, and attacks of depression and confusion. He 
had numerous psychosomatic complaints, and the slight- 
est physical activity brought on severe pain. He con- 
stantly perceived himself as beset by all sorts of spiritual 
agonies and pressures. Perhaps most problematic was 
his credulity: He believed everything he was told, espe- 
cially about people’s spiritual experiences. Thus, he was 
inclined never to doubt the claims of the possessed nuns 
at Loudun. 

Unlike many of his fellow Jesuits, Surin was indeed 
convinced that JEANNE DES ANGES and other nuns were 
genuinely possessed. He wrote that he had engaged in 
combat with “four of the most potent and malicious dev- 
ils in hell” and that God “permitted the struggles to be 
so fierce and the onslaughts so frequent that exorcism 
was the least of the battlefields, for the enemies declared 
themselves in private both day and night in a thousand 
different ways.” 

Surin wrote candidly of the sexual temptations he 
himself felt working closely with demoniacs who con- 
vulsed in suggestive ways and spoke frankly of their de- 
monic copulations. 

At first, Jeanne did her best to avoid him and his at- 
tempts at EXORCISM. Surin was convinced he could help 
Jeanne and tried to force spiritual instruction upon her. 
Day after day, he tolerated the most wretched and insult- 
ing behavior from her. 

Finally, he made a fatal mistake: he prayed to suffer in 
Jeanne’s stead and to take on her POSSESSION. His prayers 
were answered, and on January 19, 1635, he began to feel 
the effects of OBSESSION. By Good Friday, April 6, he was 
exhibiting signs of possession. He felt that the demons 
had passed from Jeanne and into him. He was both elated 
at his success and plunged into the deepest despair over 
his fate. 

In May 1635, Father Surin wrote of his torments to 
Father D’Attichy, a Jesuit in Rome, saying: 


Things have gone so far that God has permitted, for 
my sins, I think, something never seen, perhaps, in the 
Church: that during the exercise of my ministry, the 


Swedenborg, Emanuel 251 


Devil passes from the body of the possessed person, and 
coming into mine, assaults me and overturns me, shakes 
me, and visibly travels through me, possessing me for 
several hours like an energumen. . .. Some say that it is 
a chastisement from God upon me, as punishment for 
some illusion; others say something quite different; as 
for me, I hold fast where I am, and would not exchange 
my fate for anyone's, being firmly convinced that there is 
nothing better than to be reduced to great extremities. 


Surin asked D’Attichy to pray for him and to keep his let- 
ter confidential, but the priest had it copied and widely 
circulated. 

Jeanne continued to exhibit signs of possession 
until October 1635, when Surin succeeded in expel- 
ling LEVIATHAN, followed by BALAAM on November 29 
and ISACAARON on January 7, 1636. Next, he struggled 
with Behemoth, but after 10 months of failure, he broke 
down. Behemoth said he would leave if Jeanne made a 
pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Francis de Sales, and Surin 
went with her. 

He accompanied her on part of the trip. He was by 
then struck dumb by the devils, and he prayed for deliver- 
ance at the tomb, without success. He was given a dried 
clot of the saint’s blood to eat, but it enabled him to speak 
only for a moment. Surin left to return to Bordeaux and, 
along the way, regained enough speaking ability to give 
strained sermons. 

Surin said usually there were two demons in him, 
Isacaaron and Leviathan. The DEVIL told him that he 
would be deprived of everything, and the Devil had made 
a PACT with a witch in order to prevent Surin from speak- 
ing of God. 

The demons tortured the priest. Surin said his pos- 
session felt as if he had two different souls within him, 
fighting over his body. He was subjected to extremes of 
emotion and action, ranging from great peace at God’s 
good pleasure to rage, aversion to God, and intense 
and violent desire to cut himself off from God. His at- 
tempts at spiritual practice, such as making the sign 
of the cross, were immediately thwarted by the war- 
ring demons within him. Any thoughts of goodness 
were countered by rage. He was plagued by thoughts 
of suicide. 

Others told Surin that he was being punished by God 
for some sin. If so, he said, he accepted his fate and was 
glad to be reduced to extremities and was content to die. 

Surin continued ill and tormented throughout 1637 
and 1638. He had periods of lucidity and normalcy. By 
1639, his afflictions worsened, and he lost the ability to 
move and speak. He could not converse or preach and was 
struck completely dumb for seven months. He could not 
read or write, dress and undress himself, walk, or stand 
upright. He slept in his clothes. He suffered fever and 
partial paralysis and fell into a mysterious sickness that 
defied the diagnosis of doctors and that no medical treat- 
ments remedied. He vomited almost everything he ate. 


From 1639 to 1657, Surin stopped writing letters and 
communicating and lived in near-total isolation. He had 
wild swings of mood, thought, and emotion. He was 
seized with repeated temptation to burn down the house. 
Others considered him insane and avoided him. He be- 
lieved he was a sorcerer who had the power to send de- 
mons into others. 

Visions of angry saints and an angry Christ tormented 
him; he believed he was damned to HELL. Visions of the 
Blessed Virgin Mary scowled at him in disapproval and 
threw punishing thunderbolts that he felt throughout his 
body. 

On May 17, 1645, Surin attempted suicide at a Jesuit 
house in Saint-Macaire, near Bordeaux, where he lived. 
The house was built above a river. Surin threw himself 
out of his window and landed on the rocks below. He sur- 
vived with a broken thighbone. 

After a few months, Surin was able to walk again, 
but with a limp, and to read and write. He even attained 
enough inner strength to preach and hear confession. But 
for the next three years, he was watched by a brother or 
was tied to his bed to prevent more suicide attempts. 

In 1648, a sympathetic brother, Father Bastide, was 
appointed rector of the College of Saintes and took Su- 
rin with him. Bastide nursed him back to a functioning 
level of health. Surin felt better mentally if he was in pain 
physically. He still considered himself damned, com- 
pletely evil. 

He returned to Bordeaux. From 1651 to 1655, he man- 
aged to dictate his greatest work, The Spiritual Catechism. 
In 1657, he recovered a limited ability to scrawl words on 
paper, and, in 1660, he regained an ability to walk. He 
had profound psychic experiences, and, through his good 
angel, began dispensing personal advice. He was ordered 
to stop. (Jeanne did the same thing later in her life but 
was allowed to continue.) 

Surin began functioning as a priest again, visiting the 
sick, and writing letters. His behavior was odd, however, 
and his superiors censored most of his letters. 

In 1663, he wrote his account of the Loudun affair, 
Experimental Science. He died peacefully in 1665. 

Modern commentators have opined that Surin was 
never really possessed, because he retained his own in- 
telligence, and that he was instead in the grip of a long- 
lasting obsession. 


FURTHER READING: 
Huxley, Aldous. The Devils of Loudun. New York: Harper and 
Brothers, 1952. 


Swedenborg, Emanuel (1688-1772) Scientist and 
mystic who traveled out of body to both heaven and 
HELL. Emanuel Swedenborg described in great detail the 
structure and hierarchy of the afterlife. He believed that 
people make the choice of either heaven or hell. Sweden- 
borg wrote about his experiences, but his views were 
rejected by his contemporaries. After his death, his works 


252 Swedenborg, Emanuel 


influenced philosophers and theologians from the 19th 
century on. 

Swedenborg was born in Stockholm on January 29, 
1688, the second son of the Lutheran bishop of Skara. 
The family name was then Swedberg; the father changed 
it to Swedenborg when they became part of the nobility 
in 1719. After graduation, Swedenborg traveled to the 
Netherlands, Germany, and England, where he met the 
astronomers Edmund Halley and John Flamsteed. By the 
time of his return to Sweden in 1716, his reputation called 
him to the attention of King Charles XII, who named him 
a special assessor to the Royal College of Mines. Fasci- 
nated by the mining industry, Swedenborg turned down 
the opportunity to teach at Uppsala. 

Swedenborg never married and devoted himself to 
work instead. He was a creative inventor, conceiving of a 
device to carry boats overland for a distance of 14 miles, 
submarine and air guns that could fire 60 or 70 rounds 
without reloading, and flying machines. In 1734-44, 
Swedenborg wrote various treatises on animals, miner- 
alogy, geology, creation, and anatomy. In 1745, he pub- 
lished Worship and the Love of God, based on his visionary 
experiences, and turned his attention completely to the 
study of religion and God's revelations. 

Swedenborg began having ecstatic visions in 1743. Up 
to that time, he had not given much thought to spiritual 
matters, although he had argued that the soul existed. 
Suddenly, he was overcome with revelations about heaven 
and hell, the work of ANGELS and spirits, the true meaning 
of Scripture, and the order of the universe. 

He was fully conscious during the visions and could 
remain in a trance for up to three days. During these 
times, his breathing would be severely slowed, and he 
would be insensible, but his mental activity remained 
sharp. He once likened his trances to what happens when 
a person dies and is resuscitated. 

He also had the unusual ability to remain for pro- 
longed periods in the borderland state between sleep and 
wakefulness, either as he was going to sleep or as he was 
awakening. In this twilight state of consciousness, he was 
immersed in vivid images and voices. He called his vi- 
sionary travels being “in the spirit,” and he clearly knew 
that he was out of his body. 

In 1744 and 1745, he had visions that had a profound 
effect on him and greatly opened his spiritual senses. 
He later was able to exist simultaneously in the material 
world and the spiritual realms. He quit his job as assessor 
in 1747 to devote himself fully to his visionary work. 

In his later years, he moved to England, and he died 
there at age 84. He is buried in London. 

After his death in 1772, some of Swedenborg’s follow- 
ers established various churches and societies to study 
and promulgate the mystic’s theories. The Church of the 
New Jerusalem was founded in England in 1778 and in 
the United States in 1792. The Swedenborg Society was 
established in 1810 to publish translations of Sweden- 


borg’s books, create libraries, and sponsor study and lec- 
ture. Spiritualists embraced Swedenborg’s concept of the 
spirit’s survival after death and the possibility of commu- 
nication with spirits. As did Swedenborg, they rejected 
reincarnation. 

Swedenborg recorded his visionary experiences in 30 
volumes in Latin. Of those, Heaven and Hell (1758) de- 
scribes how souls go to the spiritual world and choose the 
realm with which they resonate in terms of their earthly 
interests. It describes societies, cities, life, work, children, 
and other topics. 

According to Swedenborg, people, through free will, 
create their life and eventually choose heaven or hell. Men 
and women are completely at liberty to pursue lives de- 
voted to love of the divine and charity toward the neigh- 
bor or to glorify self-love and evil. By so doing, they make 
their own heaven or hell. Choices are final. 

Immediately after death, the soul passes to an inter- 
mediary state called the spiritual world or world of the 
spirits, halfway between Earth and heaven and hell. The 
spiritual world and the material world are separate and 
distinct but mirror each other through the law of corre- 
spondences. The soul awakens to find itself in an envi- 
ronment similar to the one left behind. This “first state” 
lasts for a few days. Angels, friends, and relatives greet 
the newcomer. If a spouse has preceded the newly arrived 
soul, they may reunite. 

The first state is followed by the second state, in which 
the soul enters interior contemplation and judges its 
true character, which is impossible to hide. One’s secret 
thoughts and intentions in life are more important than 
actions, for the soul may have acted falsely to impress 
others or curry favors for itself. This self-examination 
prepares the soul to move into its permanent home in 
heaven or hell. In the first state, evil and good souls are 
together, but they separate in the second state. 

Evil souls go on to hell at the end of the second state. 
Good souls go through a “vastation,” or a purification of 
spiritual impurities. They then enter the third state, in 
which they receive instruction for becoming angels in 
heaven. 

Swedenborgian hell differs greatly from the eternal 
fire of damnation propounded by preachers of his day. 
It is quite a modern place, peopled by those who choose 
self-love and evil rather than divine love and truth. The 
Lord casts no one into hell but instead works steadfastly 
through his angels to save that soul. During life, angels try 
to replace evil thoughts and intentions with good ones. 
But those who still embrace evil and falsehood make their 
own hell after death. 

Hell’s denizens continue their earthly lives and hab- 
its, much as angels do, but with the continual threat of 
punishment if they exceed acceptable levels of vice and 
corruption. Retribution is the only restraint on their 
evil natures. There is no fallen LUCIFER or SATAN leading 
them. Lucifer and Satan themselves mean hell, and there 


Symiel 253 


is no chief DEVIL, for all the spirits in hell are former hu- 
man beings. Because they have chosen malice and dark- 
ness, their faces are distorted into monstrous, repulsive 
shapes. They live in gloom yet appear burned by the fire 
of their own hatred. They speak with anger and vengeful- 
ness, they crave each other’s company, and they shrink 
back in loathing and pain from the approach of an angel. 
The constant clash of their falsehoods and senses pro- 
duces a sound like the gnashing of teeth. The openings, 
or “gates,” of hell are numerous and everywhere but only 
visible to those spirits who have chosen that path. Inside, 
hell resembles cavernous, bestial lairs, with tumbledown 
homes and cities, brothels, filth, and excrement. Other 
hells may be barren deserts. 

Swedenborg had conversations with evil spirits. Once, 
a man and woman were given permission to go to heaven 
from hell. The woman was a siren who served as the man’s 
concubine. That man said that in his hell nature was their 
God, and religion was only a toy for the lower class. He 
dismissed angels and heaven as having no significance. 
On another occasion, Swedenborg was told by devils that 
they cannot avoid bothering people, and they become en- 
raged when they see angels. 

In any of these afterlife worlds, time does not exist as 
it does on Earth. It is measured by changes of one’s inte- 


rior state. Space also is different; spirits of like mind are 
“near” each other whatever their actual “location.” 
Swedenborg places responsibility for the permanent 
state of the soul squarely upon the individual and not on 
a judging God or a redeeming savior. The road to heaven 
or hell begins early in life with thoughts and intentions. 
Ultimately, each soul is true to its own nature. 


FURTHER READING: 

Lachman, Gary. “Heavens and Hells: The Inner Worlds of 
Emanuel Swedenborg.” Gnosis no. 36 (Summer 1995): 
44-49, 

Swedenborg, Emanuel. Heaven and Hell. Translated by George 
E Dole. New York: Swedenborg Foundation, 1976. 


Symiel DEMON among the 31 AERIAL SPIRITS OF SOLO- 
MON. Symiel rules as a king in the northeast, with 10 
dukes during the day and 1,000 during the night. The 
daytime dukes have 720 servants each, and the night 
dukes have 790 servants each. The daytime dukes are 
good-natured, but the nighttime dukes are stubborn and 
resist commands. The 10 major dukes of the day are 
Asmiel, Chrubas, Vaslos, Malgron, Romiel, Larael, Achol, 
Bonyel, Dagiel, and Musor. The 10 dukes of the night are 
Mafrus, Apiel, Curiel, Molael, Arafos, Marlano, Narzael, 
Murahe, Rhicel, and Nalael. 


talisman An object that possesses magical or super- 
natural powers and transmits the powers to the owner. 
Talismans are different from AMULETs, which are objects 
that passively protect wearers from evil and harm. Talis- 
mans usually perform a single function and make pow- 
erful transformations possible. The magic wand of a 
sorcerer or FAIRY, the magical lamp or bottle of DJINN 
lore, King Arthur’s sword Excalibur, seven-league boots, 
and Hermes’ helmet of invisibility are all talismans. Tal- 
ismans draw to their owners luck, success, wealth, love, 
magical abilities, and cures for illnesses. They also can 
be used in spell casting. 

Any object can become a talisman. It may derive its 
powers from nature, such as a holed stone, or be imbued 
with power by acts of ANGELS, spirits, or gods. Talismans 
can be made in MAGIC. DEMONs and other spirits can be 
bound to a talisman, such as by the BLOOD and semen of 
a sorcerer or magician. The magician controls the spirits 
via the talisman. When the talisman is no longer needed, 
it should be burned. It is dangerous for a talisman to fall 
into the wrong hands. 

Magical handbooks (see GRIMOIRES) give instructions 
for making talismans at auspicious astrological times. 
Talismans for a specific purpose can be created and 
drawn or engraved on metal or paper. They are conse- 
crated in a ritual. Most Western talismans are based upon 
the principle of correspondences found in the KABBALAH, 
which holds that everything in Creation is connected. 
For example, the planets all have correspondences to as- 


254 


pects of daily life. Thus, a talisman inscribed with the 
symbol of a planet can be empowered to influence that 
sphere of life. 


FURTHER READING: 

Hall, Manly P. Paracelsus: His Mystical and Medical Philoso- 
phy. Los Angeles: Philosophic Research Society, 1964. 
Kraig, Donald Michael. Modern Magick: Eleven Lessons in the 

High Magickal Arts. 2nd ed. Paul: Llewellyn, 2004. 


talking board See OUYA™. 


Taru (Tauru) In ZOROASTRIANISM, and Persian lore, the 
arch-DEMON of evil hunger. Taru is usually paired with 
another archdemon, ZARIKA (evil thirst). Zarika makes 
poison, which Taru administers to plants and animals. 
Taru opposes the good amesha spenta Hurdat. He is espe- 
cially pleased when a person walks around wearing only 
one boot, considered a sin in this culture. 


Tase In Burmese lore, hordes of the demonic dead who 
prey upon the living and spread disease and pestilence. 
There are several types of Tase: 


e Thaber Tase are the spirits of women who died in 
childbirth and return as succubi. (See LILITH.) 

e Thaye Tase are grotesque giants who were people 
who died violently. They spread smallpox, cholera, 
and other deadly diseases. They also appear at the 
bedsides of dying people to laugh at them. 


Thompson/Gifford Obsession 255 


e Hminza Tase enter the bodies of crocodiles, tigers, 
and dogs and attack people. They haunt areas where 
they once lived unhappy lives. 


The Tase can be kept away by banging pots and mak- 
ing great rackets of noise or by appeasing them with sac- 
rifices and dances. Sometimes, the dead are buried with- 
out grave markers, an attempt to make them forget where 
they once lived, so they will not return in demonic form. 


tefillin See AMULET. 


Temple of Set See SATANISM. 
tengu Asian GOBLIN or DEMON who acts as a vampire, 
poltergeist, and trickster. 

Descriptions of the tengu date to the eighth century. 
The demon appears in the shape of a man with wings and 
long, sharp nails on his hands and toes. His nose is either 
a crow’s beak or red and round, and its size indicates the 
demon’s strength. Sometimes, he carries a fan or a stick. 
The tengu is especially known for kidnaping people in 
remote, mountainous areas. He is fond of stealing chil- 
dren. POSSESSION by a tengu is not necessarily diabolical. 
The possessed acquire supernormal skills and knowledge 
during their occupation by the spirit. 


Tezcatlipoca Aztec prince of the Underworld, sorcerer, 
and king of the witches. The name Tezcatlipoca means 
“smoking mirror,” in reference to the obsidian MIRROR 
that he uses to foretell the future and spy on others. He 
is also known as Yaomauitl, which means “dreaded one.” 

According to the Popul Vuh, Tezcatlipoca wears a star 
on his forehead as a sign that he is the ruler of darkness. 
He wears a jaguar skin around his hip, the body of a dead 
bird on his ear, and a snake’s head fixed to one nostril. As 
a scepter, he carries the amputated arm of a woman who 
died in childbirth, which he uses in necromantic rites. 

Tezcatlipoca and his brothers, the TZITZIMIME, created 
the world. They were thrown out of paradise, Tamoan- 
chan, when Tezcatlipoca made the mistake of picking the 
sacred roses of Tamoanchan. Tezcatlipoca entered the 
underworld by climbing down a giant spider web. 

There are many stories about this DEMON god and his 
activities. He sentences the newly arrived souls of the 
dead, who stand before him dressed in ocelot skins with 
yokes around their necks. He makes them run an obstacle 
course through Mictlan, a region of HELL. 

According to lore, the practice of human sacrifice in 
Mexico began with Tezcatlipoca. He assumed the shape 
of a rooster to seduce the first woman ever created. Then 
he killed her, cut out her heart, and offered it to the Sun. 

Tezcatlipoca is blamed for the disappearance of the 
Toltecs, a mythical race of beings. The demon summoned 
them to a great feast where they danced and sang. A sud- 
den panic gripped them, and they fled across a stone 


bridge over the river Texcaltlauhco. Tezcatlipoca caused 
the bridge to collapse, and most of the Toltecs fell into the 
river and became stones. A few survived but were ren- 
dered senseless. 

Tezcatlipoca spreads disease and pestilence. He as- 
sumes the form of a blob and rolls like a tumbleweed, 
spreading sickness as he goes. Sometimes, he takes the 
form of a cock or a coyote and lurks at CROSSROADS in 
order to ambush travelers. He rides howling winds, espe- 
cially at night. 


FURTHER READING: 
Hyatt, Victoria, and Joseph W. Charles. The Book of Demons. 
New York: Simon & Schuster, 1974. 


Theophilus (ca. 538) Legendary monk who made a PACT 
with the DEVIL. The story of Theophilus was popular dur- 
ing the Middle Ages, especially because of its triumphant 
ending. It was written in various languages, was read at 
many churches, and was made into a drama, Le Miracle de 
Theophile, by Ruteboeuf, a 13th-century trouvere. 

Theophilus was bursar of the church of Adana in 
northern Cicilia. He was offered a bishopric. A modest 
man, he declined because he was afraid he could not do 
the job. The man who did become bishop took a perverse 
interest in tormenting and harassing Theophilus, even 
accusing him of sorcery. Theophilus lost his job. 

In revenge, he went to see Salatin, an “evil old Jew” 
who took Theophilus to a CROSSROADS and conjured the 
Devil in an exotic language. The Devil offered revenge and 
the bishopric in exchange for Theophilus’ soul. Theophi- 
lus agreed, renounced Jesus and Mary, and signed a pact 
in his own BLOOD. 

According to Le Miracle de Theophile, the pact read: 


To all who shall read this open letter, I, Satan, let know 
that the fortune of Theophilus is changed indeed, and 
that he has done me homage, so might he have once 
more his lordship, and that with the ring of his finger he 
has sealed this letter and with his blood written it, and 
no other ink has used therein. 


As SATAN promised, the church realized there was no 
evidence against Theophilus. The bishop was removed 
from his office and Theophilus installed in his stead. 
But Theophilus was not happy; he began to worry about 
spending eternity in HELL. He started praying unceasingly 
to the Virgin Mary for help. She took pity on him and in- 
terceded with God, obtaining God’s pardon. The relieved 
Theophilus burned his pact, made a public confession, 
and lived the rest of his life piously and in peace. 

The moral of Theophilus’ story is that repentance and 
prayer will save a person from the snares of the Devil. 

See FAUST. 


Thompson/Gifford Obsession Remarkable spirit OBSES- 
SION case investigated by the psychical researcher JAMES 


256 Thompson/Gifford Obsession 


HERVEY Hystop. The case proved to Hyslop, and to many 
others, the reality of spirit obsession. 

Frederic L. Thompson was a 39-year-old metal- 
worker and weekend artist who first visited Hyslop in 
January 1907. Thompson claimed he was under the in- 
fluence of the late R. Swain Gifford, a noted landscape 
painter in the late 1800s, experiencing tremendous 
urges to paint and sketch trees and rocky coasts that 
he had never seen. Although Thompson had met Gif- 
ford one summer in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and 
had contacted him in 1898 to ask for a recommendation 
to Tiffany Glass Company, the two men were hardly 
acquaintances, much less friends. In 1900, Thompson 
moved to New York, where he was employed in metal 
and jewelry work. He did not know that Gifford died on 
January 15, 1905. 

By the late summer and fall of that year, Thompson 
was overcome with strong impulses to paint. He did not 
understand these urges but began to visualize pictures 
he knew Gifford had painted on the New Bedford coast. 
He referred to his artist alter ego as “Mr. Gifford,” a fact 
confirmed to Hyslop by Thompson's wife, Carrie. 

But, in January 1906, Thompson saw an exhibit of the 
works of “the late R. Swain Gifford” and realized for the 
first time that Gifford was dead. Fascinated by the simi- 
larities between Gifford’s paintings and his own recent 
efforts, he could almost feel the fresh sea breezes. Then a 
voice said to him, “You see what I have done. Go on with 
the work,” and he blacked out. 

Thompson continued painting, as his private life and 
finances deteriorated under the ever-increasing compul- 
sions. He believed he was becoming insane—two physi- 
cians diagnosed him as a paranoid—and finally visited 
Hyslop after hearing of the doctor’s work in psychi- 
cal research. Hyslop was intrigued but at first believed 
Thompson was suffering from personality disintegration. 
But if there were any truth to Thompson’s claims, Hys- 
lop believed consulting a psychic would shed light on the 
situation. He and Thompson met with Margaret Gaule on 
January 18, 1907. 

Gaule immediately sensed the presence of an artist, 
although Hyslop had given her no information about 
Thompson, even introducing him as “Mr. Smith.” She 
described landscape scenes, much as Thompson had de- 
tailed them to Hyslop two days earlier. On March 16, Hys- 
lop took Thompson to Boston, to sit with Minnie M. Soule 
(referred to in Hyslop’s papers as “Mrs. Chenoweth”), 
judged the most talented medium of her day. Her spirit 
communicator, Sunbeam, gave her information about 
Gifford’s personal habits, even his clothing and rugs— 
items later confirmed by Gifford’s widow—and vividly 
described a certain scene of gnarled trees overlooking the 
water that had haunted Thompson for days. The medi- 
um’s communications convinced Thompson he was not 
becoming insane, and he left for the New England coast 
to try and find the pictures in his mind. 


Throughout summer and autumn 1907, Thompson 
traveled over Gifford’s favorite island haunts, recognizing 
scenes he had been compelled to paint, hearing music and 
even the voice he had heard at the Gifford exhibition. On 
one of the trees Thompson sought, Gifford had carved his 
initials, R.S.G., 1902. By early 1908, Thompson was com- 
pleting large paintings and selling them. Prominent art 
critics who viewed the works agreed they bore uncanny 
resemblances to Gifford’s works. Hyslop still harbored 
suspicions that Thompson was merely cultivating long- 
harbored desires to be an artist, and that his association 
with Gifford had influenced him more than he realized. 

To prove whether Thompson was obsessed with the 
spirit of Gifford or had merely incorporated his style in 
his own work, Hyslop decided to establish contact with 
the dead artist. After an initial sitting with Gaule, Hyslop 
took Soule down to New York from Boston so that he and 
Thompson could meet with her regularly. During the sé- 
ance of June 4, 1908, Soule appeared to be receiving com- 
munications from Gifford, and she finally revealed that 
the artist was elated over his power to return and finish 
his work through Thompson. Later séances revealed hun- 
dreds of communications about scenes and colors that 
indicated Gifford’s influence. 

Back in Boston, Soule met with Hyslop alone on July 
15. During the séance, the supposed spirit of Gifford 
revealed he had sent a dream of the angel of death to 
Thompson. When Hyslop returned to New York, Mrs. 
Thompson visited Hyslop, worried about a dream of 
death her husband had recently experienced and then 
sketched. Hyslop felt he was close to establishing real 
contact with Gifford’s spirit, which had yet to identify 
himself. Hyslop attended no more séances on the Thomp- 
son case until December 1908. At that time, he consulted 
Mrs. Willis M. Cleaveland as the medium. Cleaveland’s 
first sessions were disappointing, but on the morning 
of December 9, she sat with Thompson alone. Her com- 
municator addressed Thompson, telling him that he had 
given his work to him and telling him not to neglect it. 
Through automatic writing, Cleaveland first tried to 
write initials, then began sketching scenes of the Mas- 
sachusetts coast that Thompson had visited the summer 
before. The spirit reminisced about his childhood and 
early paintings, then admonished Thompson to continue 
with the work and not to forget him. Finally, the spirit 
told Thompson he had to leave and scrawled R.S.G. using 
Cleaveland’s hand. 

Hyslop firmly believed that he had found a true 
case of spirit obsession in Frederic Thompson/R.Swain 
Gifford. Later investigations, some alleging fraud or 
supertelepathy, never quite refuted Hyslop’s earlier 
conclusions. Gifford’s spirit reportedly never bothered 
Thompson again, but Thompson left his metalworking 
career and became a full-time painter, joining the then- 
prestigious Salmagundi Club for professional painters 
in 1912. He worked out of New York for a few years 


Throckmorton Possessions 257 


then moved to Martha’s Vineyard off the coast of New 
Bedford. Returning to New York in the 1920s, Thomp- 
son continued to paint and sculpt, showing his works 
in various exhibitions and apparently making a good 
living. He worked out of Miami in the late 1920s and 
probably died about 1927. 


FURTHER READING: 

Anderson, Roger I. “The Life and Work of James H. Hyslop.” 
Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research 79 
(April 1985): 167-200. 

Rogo, D. Scott. The Infinite Boundary. New York: Dodd, Mead, 
1987. 


Throckmorton Possessions (1589-1593) The first 
well-known case of possessed young people and the suc- 
cessful destruction of witches based on the evidence of 
minors. The story of the five Throckmorton (also Throg- 
morton) girls in Warboys, Essex, England, foreshadowed 
by a century the witchcraft hysteria that unfolded in 
Salem, Massachusetts. 

The sole account of the POSSESSIONs of the girls and 
trials and executions of the accused witches was pub- 
lished in 1593 in London in a book entitled The Most 
Strange and Admirable Discoverie of the Three Witches of 
Warboys, arraigned, convicted, and executed at the last 
Assizes at Huntington, for the bewitching of the five daugh- 
ters of Robert Throckmorton, Esquire, and divers other 
persons, with sundrie Divillish and grievous torments: 
And also for the bewitching to death of the Lady Crumwell, 
the like hath not been heard of in this age. The book may 
have been written in part by the girls’ uncle, Gilbert 
Pickering. 

Squire Robert Throckmorton of Warboys, his wife, 
and his five daughters—Joan, Elizabeth, Mary, Grace, 
and Jane—enjoyed a genteel life and were known for 
their generosity. As a wealthy landowner, Throckmorton 
supported many of his poorer neighbors, among them 
the Samuels. Alice Samuel and her daughter, Agnes, fre- 
quently visited the Throckmorton household and were 
well known to the girls. 

In 1589, the youngest, Jane, began having sneezing fits 
and convulsions and fell into a trance. Her frightened par- 
ents consulted a Cambridge physician, Dr. Barrow, and a 
Dr. Butler. Looking only at Jane’s urine, both doctors diag- 
nosed bewitchment. When the 76-year-old Alice Samuel 
visited to offer her sympathies, Jane cried out against her, 
accusing the old woman of WITCHCRAFT, saying, “Did you 
ever see one more like a witch than she is? Take off her 
black thrumb’d cap for I cannot abide to look at her.” 

Within two months, all the other sisters were suffering 
violent, hysterical fits several times a day. They claimed 
to have no memory of the fits, but they all were certain 
that Mother Samuel was the cause. 

The eldest daughter, Joan, predicted that there would 
eventually be 12 DEMONIACs in the house. Soon thereafter, 
seven maidservants fell victim to the spells. If they were 


sent away, they recovered. If any left Squire Throckmor- 
ton’s employ, her successor also became possessed. All 
pointed to Mother Samuel as the source of their torments. 
The hysterical behavior of the daughters and the maids 
continued for more than three years. 

As with other demoniacs, the girls shrieked and con- 
torted if the parson attempted prayer or read from the 
Bible, especially the beginning of the Gospel of John, 
known to be particularly offensive to the DEVIL. Such ac- 
tions are generally accepted as the signs of true posses- 
sion but may also have been a convenient way for the girls 
to avoid pious exercises. Elizabeth would throw fits to 
avoid religious lessons, only ending a tantrum if someone 
played cards with her. She clenched her teeth unless she 
ate outdoors at a particularly pretty pond, so the family 
had picnics every day. 

Squire and Mrs. Throckmorton doubted the girls’ 
possession, since they had only lived in the area a short 
time and no one had any motive for bewitching the fam- 
ily. They ignored the girls’ accusations and tauntings of 
Mother Samuel, but the hysterics did not subside. Even 
as late as autumn 1592, Mrs. Throckmorton thought the 
“devils” might be lying. 

In September 1590, the Throckmortons were visited 
by Lady Cromwell and her daughter-in-law. Lady Crom- 
well was the wife of Sir Henry Cromwell (grandfather of 
Sir Oliver Cromwell), the richest commoner in England. 
When she saw Mother Samuel, one of the Cromwells’ 
tenants, she angrily ripped the old woman’s bonnet from 
her head, denounced her as a witch, and ordered her hair 
burned. Horrified, Mother Samuel beseeched Lady Crom- 
well, “Madame, why do you use me thus? I never did you 
any harm, as yet.” 

Back home, Lady Cromwell experienced a terrible 
nightmare, in which she dreamed that Mother Samuel 
had sent her cat FAMILIAR to rip the flesh from Lady 
Cromwell’s body. Lady Cromwell never fully recovered; 
her health gradually declined, and she died a lingering 
death 15 months later, in July 1592. Mother Samuel was 
not immediately seen as the cause of her death. 

By this time, the girls showed signs of relief only when 
they were taken to the Samuel house or she went to theirs, 
and Alice was forced to live with the Throckmortons for 
several weeks. Alice; her daughter, Agnes; and another sus- 
pected witch were also scratched repeatedly by the girls, a 
custom similar to pricking that was intended to reveal true 
witches. If the skin was insensitive, it indicated a witch. 

The girls constantly exhorted Alice to confess her deal- 
ings with the Devil and repent and delivered pious speeches 
that moved onlookers to tears. Giving in to the constant 
pressure, Alice confessed just before Christmas 1592. 

Not long after Christmas, however, Alice’s husband, 
John, and daughter, Agnes, convinced Alice to recant, and 
she again claimed her innocence, only to confess again 
before the bishop of Lincoln and a justice of the peace 
in Huntington on December 29. All three Samuels were 


258 thwarting angels 


jailed, although Agnes was released on bail to allow the 
girls to extract incriminating evidence from her through 
more scratchings. The demons identified were minor 
ones, with the silly names of Pluck, Catch, and White and 
the three cousins, all named Smackes. The demons often 
appeared as chickens. 

The Throckmorton children now accused Alice Samuel 
of bewitching Lady Cromwell to death, a serious accusa- 
tion that placed Alice in jeopardy of capital punishment 
as a murderer under the Witchcraft Act of 1563. 

The Samuels were tried on April 5, 1593, on charges 
of murdering Lady Cromwell by witchcraft. The court, 
under the impressionable Judge Edward Fenner, accepted 
the testimony of the Throckmorton girls, as well as sev- 
eral other persons who claimed that the Samuels family 
had bewitched their livestock to death over the years. The 
jury took only five hours to convict all three. 

Alice, Agnes, and John were hanged, and afterward 
the Throckmorton girls returned to perfect health. Since 
Lady Cromwell had allegedly died through the black of- 
fices of Alice Samuel, her husband, Sir Henry Cromwell, 
received all the Samuels’ forfeited property and goods. He 
used the money to establish an annual sermon at Queens’ 
College, Cambridge, to “preache and invaye against the 
detestable practice, synne, and offence of witchcraft, 
inchantment, charm, and sorcereye.” The sermons lasted 
until 1812. 

The Throckmorton case had a significant impact on 
public belief in witchcraft and the EVIL EYE. The case was 
widely known through the publication of the account. It 
also had an impact on the governing class. The Crom- 
wells served in the Parliament of James I, who gained the 
throne in 1603. In response to public pressure for more 
stringent actions against witches, Parliament passed anew 
Witchcraft Act in 1604, which stiffened punishment. 


FURTHER READING: 

Coverntry, William W. Demonic Possession on Trial: Case 
Studies in Early Modern England and Colonial America, 
1593-1692. New York: AuthorHouse, 2003. 

Walker, D. P Unclean Spirits: Possession and Exorcism in 
France and England in the Late Sixteenth and Early Seven- 
teenth Centuries. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania 
Press, 1981. 


thwarting angels ANGELs who nullify the powers of 
specific DEMONs. All diseases, bad weather, and other 
misfortunes are caused by certain demons. Each demon 
has a thwarting angel who can be summoned in prayer 
and MAGIC to stop or cancel out the demon’s mischief. 
Knowing the appropriate thwarting angel is important in 
order to invoke the fastest and best help. 

The most important thwarting angels are the plane- 
tary rulers, six angels who have the sole powers to thwart 
the demonic HEAVENLY BODIES of the world of darkness 
responsible for all the misery in the world. The planetary 
rulers are as follows: 


Lamachiel, who thwarts Deception 
Baruchiel, who thwarts Strife 
Marmaroth, who thwarts Fate 
Balthioul, who thwarts Distress 
Uriel, who thwarts Error 
Asteraoth, who thwarts Power 


Oye OS 


See AMULET; MAGIC; SOLOMON. 


Tregeagle, Jan (John) A 17th-century Cornish high- 
wayman punished by the DEVIL. The ghost of Jan Tregea- 
gle is known for his howling in protest over his fate. 

A historical Jan Tregeagle existed; he was an unpopu- 
lar magistrate in Cornwall, England. Local lore held that 
he achieved his success by forgery, fraud, and illegal sei- 
zure of estates of orphans. He also was rumored to have 
made a PACT with the Devil. 

According to lore, Tregeagle worried about the fate of 
his soul as he grew older, and he bribed the clergy to al- 
low him to be buried in consecrated ground, which he 
believed would prevent the Devil from collecting his soul. 
He was buried in St. Breock’s churchyard, where he rested 
quietly for seven years. 

A legal dispute over landownership arose, and Tre- 
geagle’s ghost was summoned from the grave to testify 
in court. He did, on behalf of the defendant, who won 
the case. But the man refused to return Tregeagle to his 
grave, claiming the job was too dangerous. The clergy 
decided that the only way they could keep Tregeagle out 
of the clutches of the Devil was to keep him busy for eter- 
nity. Tregeagle was bound by spells to bail out DOZMARY 
POOL with a leaky limpet shell, a task he could never 
complete. 

One night, Tregeagle escaped and dashed across Bod- 
min Moor, with the Devil and his HELL hounds (see BLACK 
DOGS) in pursuit. Tregeagle tried to hide in the ruined 
chapel atop ROCHE ROCK, but his head became wedged in 
the east window. 

He was rescued by a priest and two saints, who took 
him to Padstow beach and set him to the endless and 
impossible task of weaving ropes from sand. Every time 
the tide came in, the ropes were destroyed, and Tregeagle 
howled in protest. He became such a noisy nuisance that 
he was sent to Berepper, where he was supposed to empty 
the beach of sand. Once a DEMON tripped him and made 
him spill his sack, creating a sandbar. 

He was unpopular at Berepper and so was sent on to 
Land’s End, where he was supposed to sweep sand. Once 
again, he howled in protest. Tregeagle’s ghost is said to 
haunt Roche Rock, especially on windy nights. He still 
screams and howls at the torment of the hellhounds. 


Tzitzimime Brothers of TEZCATLIPOCA who were cast 
out of heaven for their acts of sacrilege and desecration 
against the gods. Tzitzimime means “dangerous beings.” 
Prior to their fall, the brothers had the names of stars 
and constellations. 


Tzitzimime 259 


The Tzitzimime assume the shapes of scorpions, hideous 
insects, frogs, and toads. At certain times of the year, they 
have the power to enter households in the form of beams 
of light. In earlier times, people filled the cracks in their 
homes on those nights in order to keep the demons out. 

One of the brothers, Tacatecutli, was idolized as a 
walking stick in strange rites. Followers drew BLOOD from 


their noses and ears and smeared it on walking sticks 
placed on the altar. It was believed that this would placate 
the demon and prevent him from troubling people. 

Another brother took the form of a donkey skull and 
terrorized people traveling on roads at night. If people 
happened to see the skull, it followed his or her relent- 
lessly to their destination. 


udugg (utukku) A type of Babylonian DEMON who can 
be either good or evil. A group of evil ones are known as 
the Seven; they are offspring of the sky god, An, and the 
Earth goddess, Ki, and they act as assistants to the 
underworld god, Nergal. In Akkadian lore, the utukku 
are servants of the underworld, whose task is to fetch the 
sacrificial offerings made by humans, especially the 
BLOOD, liver, and organs of animals. The evil utukku are 
the ekimmu and the good ones are the shedu. 


Ukobach Low-ranking DEMON who invented fireworks 
and the art of frying food. Ukobach appears with an 
inflamed body. BEELZEBUB assigns him to tend the oil in 
the cauldrons of HELL. He throws burning coals on the 
souls of the damned or tortures them with flames. In lore, 
Ukobach is the lamp oil for the jack-o-lantern. 


Um Es Sibyan Arabian DEMON who, as does LILITH, preys 
upon newborn children. Um Es Sibyan has the body of a 
chicken, the face of a human, and the chest of a camel. She 
flies through the air at night crying, “Warh, warh warh.” 
The sound is a death omen to any child who hears it. Par- 
ents can ward off the demon by sounding, “Tchlok, tchlok, 
tchlok” until it passes by. 


Uriel DEMON and wandering duke of the air. Uriel has 10 
chief dukes and 100 underdukes with numerous servants. 
They are evil, false, and deceitful, and reluctant to obey the 
commands of an EXORCIST. They appear in the form of a 
SERPENT with a virgin’s head and face. The 10 chief dukes 
are Chabri, Drabros, Nartniel, Frasmiel, Brymiel, Dragon, 


260 


Curtnas, Draplos, Hermon, and Aldrusy. Uriel is also the 
name of an archangel. 


Usiel DEMON among the 31 AERIAL SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. 
Usiel rules as a prince in the northwest under the com- 
mand or AMENADIEL. He has 40 dukes in the daytime and 
40 at night, plus their many servants. All are obedient. 
According to King SOLOMON, Usiel and his demons have 
more power to hide and discover treasure than any other 
spirits. His main 14 dukes of the day are Abariel, Ameta, 
Amen, Heme, Saefer, Potiel, Saefam, Magni, Amandiel, 
Barsu, Gamasu, Hissain, Fabariel, and Usiniel. His main 
dukes of the night are Ansoel, Godiel, Barfos, Burfa, Adan, 
Saddiel, Sodiel, Ossidiel, Pathier, Marae, Asuriel, Almoel, 
Las Pharon, and Ethiel. 


Usiel (Uziel, Uzziel) FALLEN ANGEL who is also good. In 
kabbalistic lore, Usiel is a fallen angel who married women 
and begat giants. (See WATCHERS.) In the Sefer Raziel, Usiel 
is a good angel who is among the seven who stand before 
the throne of God and the nine who are set over the four 
winds. 


Uzza (Ouza, Semyaza, Uzzah) FALLEN ANGEL. Uzza 
means “strength.” In 3 Enoch, Uzza is named as one of 
three primary ministering angels with Azael and Azza, 
who live in the seventh (highest) heaven (probably prior to 
their fall). The three object to the elevation of the prophet 
Enoch into the great angel Metatron and are cast out of 
heaven as punishment. 

Uzza also is a tutelary spirit of Egypt. 

See SEMYAZA. 


Valac FALLEN ANGEL and 62nd of the 72 SPIRITS OF 
SOLOMON. Valac is a president who appears as a small 
boy with ANGEL wings riding on a two-headed dragon. 
He gives true answers about hidden treasures. He 
reveals where SERPENTs can be seen and delivers them 


Valac (DICTIONNAIRE INFERNAL) 


261 


harmless to the magician. He governs 30 LEGIONs of 
DEMONS. 


Valefor (Malaphar, Malephar) FALLEN ANGEL and 
sixth of the 72 SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. Valefor is a duke who 
rules 10 LEGIONs. He appears either as a many-headed 
lion or as a lion with the head of a human thief. He leads 
people into thievery and leaves them at the gallows. 


Vapula FALLEN ANGEL and 60th of the 72 SPIRITS OF 
SOLOMON. In HELL, Vapula is a duke with 36 legions of 
DEMONs under his command. He appears as a lion with 
griffin wings. He confers skill in handicrafts, philosophy, 
and all science contained in books. 


Vassago FALLEN ANGEL and third of the 72 SPIRITS OF 
SOLOMON. Vassago is a prince who has the same nature 
as AGARES. He discerns past, present, and future. He dis- 
covers all things lost or hidden. Good-natured, he is 
invoked in divination rituals. He rules 26 LEGIONs of 
DEMONS. 


Veltis One of the DEMONs imprisoned by King SOLO- 
MON in his brazen vessel. 

Veltis is mentioned in the lore of the life of St. Margaret 
of Antioch, who was executed by beheading in Christian 
persecutions in 304. While in prison, Margaret prayed to 
have a face-to-face confrontation with the DEVIL. Upon 
arising from prayer, she saw a terrible dragon, which 
threatened to devour her. She made the sign of the cross 
and the dragon burst into flames. 


262 Vepar 


Then, she saw a black man sitting with his hands 
bound to his knees. She took him by the hair and cast 
him to the ground, holding his head down with her foot. 
She prayed, and a light shone down from heaven, illumi- 
nating her cell. She saw in heaven the cross of Christ with 
a dove on it. The dove said, “Blessed art thou o Margaret, 
the gates of paradise attend thy coming.” 

Margaret demanded that the demon give his name, 
and he asked her first to remove her foot from his head. 
She did, and he gave the name Veltis. He said that he and 
other demons had been locked up in the brazen vessel. 
Babylonians found it and, thinking that it contained gold, 
smashed it and thus freed the demons. Ever since, Veltis 
and the others have lain in wait to annoy the just. 

REGINALD SCOT, a skeptic about the powers of the 
DEVIL and demons, dismissed the legend as a fiction, say- 
ing Margaret could not have possibly had the eyesight 
and hearing to perceive anything as far away as heaven. 
Surely, the demons could have used their fiery nature and 
breath to melt the brazen vessel at any time. “The devils 
carry hell and hell fire about with them always; insomuch 
as (they say) they leave ashes evermore where they stand,” 
he noted. 

Scot opined that anyone who burned a candle in the 
name of St. Margaret “shall never be the better, but three 
pence the worse.” 


FURTHER READING: 
Scot, Reginald. The Discoverie of Witchcraft. 1886. Reprint, 
Yorkshire, England: E. P. Publishing, 1973. 


Vepar (Separ) FALLEN ANGEL and 42nd of the 72 SPIR- 
ITS OF SOLOMON. In HELL, Vepar is a duke with 29 LEGIONS 
of DEMONs under his command. He appears as a mermaid 
and has jurisdiction over certain things pertaining to the 
sea: He guides the waters and battleships and causes the 
sea to seem full of ships. When commanded, he will 
raise storms at sea. He can cause a person to die in three 
to five days of wounds that putrefy and become filled 
with maggots. According to JOHANN WEYER, a person so 
afflicted can be healed “with diligence.” 


Vienna Possession (1583) Teenaged girl possessed of 
more than 12,000 DEMONS, allegedly sent by her grand- 
mother. The Vienna Possession case has political over- 
tones of anti-Protestant propaganda. 

In 1583, a 16-year-old girl in the village of Manx near 
Vienna, Austria, began suffering from severe cramps. She 
was determined by local authorities to be possessed and 
was sent to Vienna to the Jesuit chapel of St. Barbara for 
EXORCISM. After eight weeks of intense daily exorcisms, the 


priests succeeded in expelling 12,652 DEMONS, one of the 
highest numbers on record in demonic possession cases. 

The thousands of demons who had possessed her 
made her so heavy that she could scarcely be carried from 
place to place. The wagoner who transported her every 
day from the hospital to the chapel said that she seemed 
to be made of lead and iron, and the horses sweated pro- 
fusely in pulling her cart. 

The priests, of course, sought to assign blame. The girl 
told them that she was often in the company of her grand- 
mother, Elisabeth Pleinarcher, who took her to Lutheran 
weddings and church services. The priests pressured her 
to state that Pleinarcher kept demons in the forms of flies 
in a bottle, and she had used these against the girl. 

The confession enabled Kaspar Neubeck, the bishop 
of Vienna, to arrest Pleinarcher. The 70-year-old woman 
was imprisoned and tortured until she said that her grand- 
daughter’s story was true that she had accomplished the 
possession by sending the DEVIL into an APPLE that she had 
given the girl to eat. Pleinarcher also confessed to attend- 
ing SABBATs for 50 years. She had copulated with the Devil 
in the forms of a cat, a goat, and even a ball of thread. 

Pleinarcher was tied to the tail of a horse and dragged 
through Vienna to the Richplatz, where she was burned 
alive. 

Not long after the execution, a Jesuit priest, Georg 
Scherer, preached a lengthy sermon about the case, urg- 
ing Viennese officials to increase their diligence against 
WITCHCRAFT. 


FURTHER READING: 
Lea, Henry Charles. Materials toward a History of Witchcraft. 
Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1939. 


Vine FALLEN ANGEL and 45th of the 72 SPIRITS OF SOLO- 
MON. In HELL, Vine is a king and earl. He appears either 
as a monster or as a lion seated on a black horse, holding 
a viper. When commanded, he assumes human form. 
Vine discerns hidden things, reveals witches, and knows 
the past, present, and future. Upon command, he will 
build towers, demolish walls, and make seas stormy. He 
governs 35 LEGIONs of DEMONs. 


Vual FALLEN ANGEL and 47th of the 72 SPIRITS OF SOLO- 
MON. Once a member of the angelic order of powers, Vual 
is a duke in HELL with 37 LEGIONs of DEMONs under his 
command. He appears first as an enormous dromedary 
camel, then changes into human form and speaks in 
imperfect Egyptian. He procures the love of women; 
knows the past, present, and future; and makes enemies 
become friends. 


Warren, Ed (1926-2006) and Lorraine (1927- ) 
American DEMONOLOGISTS and ghost investigators. Ed 
and Lorraine Warren, husband and wife, were involved 
in thousands of cases of spirit identification, hauntings, 
and demonic INFESTATION, OPPRESSION, and POSSESSION of 
both people and property. They acted as consultants on 
some of America’s most famous paranormal cases, such 
as the SMURL HAUNTING in West Pittston, Pennsylvania, 
in the 1980s, and the AMITYVILLE HAUNTING of the Lutz 
family on Long Island, in the 1970s. During his lifetime, 
Ed Warren achieved the rare distinction of being a lay- 
person recognized as a demonologist by the Catholic 
Church. 


Background 

Both Ed and Lorraine were born in Bridgeport, Connecti- 
cut, but did not meet until they were teenagers. Ed was 
born on September 7, 1926; his father was a state trooper 
and a devout Catholic and enrolled Ed in parochial school. 
The Warren family lived in a big old house rented out by 
an unmarried landlady who did not approve of dogs or 
children, always throwing things at them in annoyance. 
Ed was five when the landlady passed away, and he saw 
his first apparition when she materialized in his bedroom 
closet a few days later, as sour as she had been in life. His 
father always told Ed that there must be a logical explana- 
tion for the paranormal behavior his son experienced, but 
the elder Warren never produced one. Young Ed would 
choose to stay outside in freezing or rainy weather rather 


263 


than be in the house alone. One of Ed’s supernatural vis- 
itors was a nun, his father’s sister. Ed had expressed a 
desire to become a priest, but the nun told him that he 
would not; rather, he would consult priests and would do 
more work than 100 of them. 

When Ed was 12, his family moved out of their 
haunted home. Although he had come to terms with the 
spirits there, his exposure to the paranormal just fueled 
his desire for more investigation and confrontation. 

Three blocks away, Lorraine Rita Moran was born on 
January 31, 1927, to a fairly affluent Irish family. She at- 
tended Laurelton Hall, a Catholic girls’ school in nearby 
Milford, and it was while at school that young Lorraine, 
age 12, discovered that her gift of clairvoyance was not 
shared by everyone. On Arbor Day that year, the nuns 
had organized a tree planting, and as soon as the sapling 
was set in the ground, Lorraine began staring at the sky, 
seeing the tree in its full-grown splendor. Once she told 
a nun that her “lights,” or aura, were brighter than the 
lights around the mother superior. The nuns considered 
her psychic ability to be sinful and packed her off to a 
weekend retreat of prayer and silence. 

At age 16, Ed met Lorraine while working as an usher 
at the Colonial Theater in Bridgeport, on June 23, 1943. 
She knew immediately that they would spend the rest of 
their lives together. He was the only boy she ever dated. 
On his 17th birthday on September 7, 1943, Ed enlisted in 
the U.S. Navy, and he served with the armed navy guard 
aboard a merchant marine vessel. He and Lorraine married 


264 Warren, Ed and Lorraine 


on May 22, 1945, on survivors’ leave in Bridgeport. They 
were both 18. Their only child, Judy, was six months old 
before Ed left the navy. After the war, Ed attended the 
Perry Art School, affiliated with Yale University, but left 
to travel around New England painting landscapes and 
searching for haunted houses. His favorite pastime was to 
hear of a haunted house in a community, paint a portrait 
of the home, and give it to the house’s owners. He also 
earned income from his paintings. 

But what Ed particularly liked was to be invited in- 
side the haunted house by its owners and allowed to look 
around. Eventually, Ed’s experiences as a ghost hunter 
and the wealth of information he had collected led the 
Warrens away from itinerant art to the full-time pursuit of 
paranormal consultation. Frequently, they had been the 
only ones in whom the frightened owners of a haunted 
house had confided the strange occurrences happening 
there; more and more, the Warrens found themselves giv- 
ing advice and consolation not only to the homeowners 
but to interested strangers. Finding that negative energy 
associated with teenagers and young adults attracted 
spirit activity, the Warrens began giving lectures at col- 
leges in order to encourage their listeners to avoid unwit- 
tingly inviting trouble into their lives and family homes. 

In 1969, an exhibit of Ed’s artwork attracted the atten- 
tion of the media and a literary agent, which significantly 
boosted their public profile. 


Paranormal Investigations 

The Warrens amassed a large archive of detailed inter- 
views and reports from afflicted families and from other 
investigators; photographs; audio and video recordings 
of paranormal activity, including the voices of the spir- 
its; a museum of spirit-infested clothing, dolls, and other 
objects; and myriad letters of gratitude from government 
officials, clergy, and ordinary people for the couple’s in- 
tervention in horrible, unbelievably evil situations. From 
their research, they identified different types of spirits re- 
quiring different remedies. They investigated abroad, as 
well as throughout America. 

After an invitation to investigate a site, the Warrens 
arranged a visit as quickly as possible. Once at the site, 
they usually split up, with Ed conducting careful and 
thorough interviews of all persons involved, and Lorraine 
walking the house to see whether she could discern spirit 
activity through her psychic sense. Lorraine usually de- 
tected spirit presence almost immediately and knew also 
whether the spirits were earthbound human ghosts or ap- 
paritions or inhuman, demonic influences. 


Demonology Work 

The Warrens stressed that God does not let evil visit hu- 
mans, but that humans must in some way invite the ma- 
levolence into their lives: by toying with the supernatural 
(conjuring, OUJA™ boards, séances, black WITCHCRAFT, 
and satanic rituals); by sinking into negative, depressive 
states; or by becoming obsessed with a person or place. 


Ed referred to these “permissions” as the Law of Invita- 
tion and the Law of Attraction. Once allowed to enter, 
the demonic takes control in three stages: infestation, 
oppression, and possession. In severe circumstances, the 
final outcome can be death. 

The Warrens’ objective was to document and effect 
closure through the clergy. They helped identify the 
manifestations of demonic infestation, oppression, and 
possession so that trained exorcists could work to rid the 
victim of evil influence. They helped the afflicted through 
support, blessing, and prayer. They did not perform exor- 
cisms themselves but worked with exorcists and assisted 
them. Ed and Lorraine strongly warned against anyone’s 
trying to perform exorcisms independently. 

The Warrens estimate that they investigated more 
than 8,000 cases in more than 50 years of work. Some of 
these investigations have been sensational, such as “An- 
nabelle,” in which spirits infested a large Raggedy Ann 
doll claiming to be the ghost of a little girl; the Donovan 
case, which stemmed from a teenage daughter's invitation 
for infestation through her Ouija™ board; the identifica- 
tion of a ghost at the United States Military Academy at 
West Point and Lorraine’s help to the spirit to pass on to 
the other side; and the study of cemeteries and how they 
are gathering points for spirits. 

The most famous and controversial case the Warrens 
encountered was the possession of the Lutz home in Ami- 
tyville, Long Island, New York. Ed and Lorraine were two 
of only nine individuals asked to be consultants on the le- 
gitimacy of demonic activity in the house. They said that 
the possession of the Lutz home was authentic. 

Besides their demonology rescue work, lectures, and 
guidance of supernatural tours, the Warrens cofounded 
the New England Society for Psychic Research, in the 
early 1950s. They also wrote 10 books based on their 
experiences: Deliver Us from Evil, The Demonologist, The 
Devil in Connecticut, The Haunted (based on the Smurl 
case), Werewolf, Satan’s Harvest, The Ghost Hunters, In a 
Dark Place, Graveyard, and Ghost Tracks. The Haunted was 
released as a film in 1991, and the made-for-television 
movie The Demon Murder Case (1983) was based on The 
Devil in Connecticut. 

On March 26, 2001, Ed Warren collapsed as a result of 
heart problems after a trip to Japan to assist in Buddhist 
exorcism techniques. He was hospitalized for a year and 
was in a coma for several months. He spent the next four 
years under the home care of Lorraine, who was at his 
side when he passed away of natural causes on August 23, 
2006. He was buried with full military honors. 

Lorraine continues their work, collaborating with 
her son-in-law, Tony Spera; conducting research and in- 
vestigations; giving lectures; and participating in media 
projects. 

Ed’s nephew, JOHN ZAFFIS, of Stratford, Connecticut, 
who investigated cases with the Warrens, works inde- 
pendently as a paranormal researcher and investigator; 


Watchers 265 


he founded the Paranormal Research Society of New En- 
gland in 1998. 


FURTHER READING: 

Brittle, Gerald Daniel. The Demonologist: The Extraordinary 
Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren. Lincoln, Nebr.: An 
Authors Guild BackinPrint.com Edition, 2002. 

New England Society for Psychic Research. Official Web site 
of Ed and Lorraine Warren. Available online. URL: http:// 
www.watrens.net. Downloaded January 18, 2006. 

Pionzio, Melissa. “Factual Exorcism Book Evokes Past Pain.” 
Hartford Courant, October 14, 2007. Available online. 
URL: http://www.religionnewsblog.com/19688/the-devil- 
in-connecticut. Downloaded August 6, 2008. 

Smith, D. R. “An Interview with the Ghost Hunter: Ed War- 
ren.” Left Field-Paranormal Studies & Investigations. 
Available online. URL: http://www. leftfield-psi.net/ghosts/ 
warren.html. Downloaded January 18, 2006. 

Warren, Ed, and Lorraine Warren with Robert David Chase. 
Ghost Hunters. New York: St. Martin’s Paperbacks, 1989. 


Watchers FALLEN ANGELs. The Watchers cohabited 
with human women and fell from God’s grace. Watchers 
are also referred to as SONS OF GOD. Their monstrous off- 
spring, the NEPHILIM, and the corruption the Watchers 
created on Earth so revolted God that he decided to send 
the great flood to destroy all life on Earth. The cohabita- 
tion of the Sons of God and the daughters of men is 
briefly described in Genesis 6:1-4. 

Watchers also describes ANGELs who do not fall but 
who are close to the throne of God, thus causing some 
confusion as to whether they are good or bad. 

1 Enoch tells in detail the story of the Watchers and 
their fall. The Watchers, described as angels who are “the 
children of heaven,” see the beautiful daughters of men 
and desire them. They decide to take them as wives. But 
their leader, SEMYAZA, expresses the fear that he alone 
will be held accountable for this great sin. The angels, 
who are 200 in number, swear an oath binding them all 
together. Their chiefs (called chiefs of tens) who serve un- 
der Semyaza are Arakeb, Rameel, Tamel, Ramel, Danel, 
Ezeqel, Baraqyal, Asel, Armaros, Batrel, Ananel, Zaqeel, 
Sasomaspweel, Kestarel, Turel, Yamayol, and Arazyal. 

The Watchers descend to Earth and take the women. 
Many of them commit adultery against their new wives. 
Their offspring, the giant Nephilim, turn against people, 
cannibalize them, and drink their blood. 

The Watchers teach people secret arts such as magi- 
cal medicine, incantations, and knowledge of plants and 
herbs. AZAZEL teaches the art of making weapons of war, 
jewelry, and cosmetics, and dye making and alchemy. 
Amasras teaches plant lore and how to perform magic. 
Baraqiyal teaches astrology, Kokarerel teaches the zodiac, 
Tamel teaches about the stars, and Asderel teaches about 
the Moon and the deception of humans. 

Later in the text, 1 Enoch gives the names of 21 chiefs 
of the fallen (some angels are named more than once): 


Semyaza Aristaqis 
Armen Kokbael 
Turel Rumyal 
Danyul Neqael 
Baraqel Azazel 
Armaros Betryal 
Besasel Hananel 
Turel Sipwesel 
Yeterel Tumael 
Turel Rumel 
Azazel 


Fallen angels who are known as the Five Satans: 


e Yeqon, who misleads all the children of the angels, 
brings them down upon the earth, and perverts 
them by the daughters of the people 

e Asbel, who misleads holy angels so that they will 
defile their bodies by the daughters of the people 

e Gaderel, who shows the children of the people all 
the blows of death, who misleads Eve, and who 
shows the children of the people how to make 
weapons and all other instruments of war and death 

e Pinene, who demonstrates to people the bitter and 
the sweet, reveals to them all the secrets of wisdom, 
and teaches them the secret of writing with ink and 
paper, thus causing them to err through all eternity 

e Kasadya, “who reveals the flagellations of all evil 
including the flagellation of the souls and the 
DEMONS, the smashing of the embryo in the womb 
so that it may be crushed, and the flagellation of 
the soul; snake bites, sun strokes, and the son of 
the SERPENT whose name is Tabata” according to 1 
Enoch 69:4-12 


Sin, corruption, and oppression spread across the 
earth. Horrified, the angels Michael, Surafel (Suriel/ 
Uriel), and Gabriel petition God to take action, for the 
people on Earth are suffering. God declares that he will 
wipe out the wicked and all life on Earth in a great flood. 
He instructs Raphael to bind Azazel hand and foot and 
to throw him into darkness. Raphael makes a hole in the 
desert, casts Azazel into it, and covers him with sharp 
rocks. God tells Gabriel to destroy the children of the 
Watchers. He tells Michael to inform Semyaza that they 
will die together with their wives and children in their 
defilement. He is to bind them for 70 generations beneath 
rocks until the day of judgment. They will then be led into 
the bottom of fire, where they will be locked up in prison 
and in torment forever. All those who collaborated with 
the Watchers will be similarly punished. Finally, Michael 
is to eradicate injustice from the face of the Earth. 

The Watchers call to the prophet Enoch for help, and 
he hears them in a dream vision. Upon awakening, he 
tells Azazel there will be no peace for him, for a grave 
judgment has come upon him. Enoch then speaks to all 
the Watchers, who are full of fear and trembling. They 


266 Watchers 


beg him to write a prayer of forgiveness for them. Enoch 
records their prayers and petitions and then reads them 
until he falls asleep. He has another dream vision in 
which he sees plagues. When he awakens, he goes to the 
Watchers and reprimands them for their sins and tells 
them their petitions will not be heard. 

Enoch nonetheless tries to intercede on behalf of the 
Watchers but is refused by God. God says that their gi- 
ant offspring shall be called evil spirits upon the earth, 
for they will dwell on the earth and in the earth. He tells 
Enoch to inform the Watchers that because they have re- 
jected heaven, they shall have no peace. 

1 Enoch also gives the names of “the holy angels who 
watch,” implying that the term Watchers was given to an- 
gels in heaven, not just the fallen ones. The holy angels 
are 


e Suruel—angel of eternity and trembling 

e Raphael—angel of the spirits of man 

e Raguel—angel who takes vengeance for the world 
and for the luminaries 

e Michael—angel who is obedient in his benevolence 
over the people and the nations 

e Saraqael—angel who is over the spirits of mankind 
and who is in the spirit 

e Gabriel—angel who oversees the garden of Eden, 
the serpents, and the cherubim 


In 2 Enoch, Enoch sees the “innumerable armies” 
of the Watchers and Nephilim imprisoned in the fifth 
heaven. They are dejected and silent. Enoch, who un- 
successfully tries to intercede on their behalf with God, 
urges them to sing a liturgy to God so that God will not 
be enraged against them “to the limit.” They do so, sing- 
ing in a piteous and touching way. 

3 Enoch describes the Watchers as holy angels. Ac- 
cording to the text, four great princes called “Watchers 
and holy ones” (the terms used in Daniel) reside in the 
seventh heaven opposite the throne of glory facing God. 
They are called Watchers and holy ones because on the 
third day of judgment (after death), they sanctify the 
body and soul with lashes of fire (a reference to preparing 
the soul for God’s presence). 

Each Watcher has 70 names corresponding to the 70 
languages of the world, and all of them are based on the 
name of God. Each name is written with a pen of flame 
on God's crown. Such sparks and lightning shoot forth 
from them that no angels, not even the seraphim, can 
look upon them. 

The Watchers are praised with the praise of the Sheki- 
nah, and God does nothing without taking their counsel. 
They function as officers in the heavenly court and debate 
and close each case that comes up for judgment. They 
announce the verdicts, proclaim the sentences, and some- 
times go down to Earth to carry out the sentences. 

A Qumran text called the Testament of Amran (Q543, 
545-548), which exists only in several fragments and 


Belial, one of the Watchers, from Francis Barretts The Magus 
(AUTHOR'S COLLECTION) 


manuscripts, concerns the Watchers. In Manuscript B 
Fragment 1, the anonymous author describes a dream 
vision in which two Watchers are fighting over him. 
He asks, “Who are you that you are thus empowered 
over me?” They tell him that they have been empow- 
ered to rule over all humankind, and they ask him to 
choose which of them he would want as a ruler. One of 
them has a terrifying appearance, like a serpent wear- 
ing a dark cloak of many colors. He has a “visage like 
a viper.” 

Fragment 2 identifies BELIAL as one of the Watchers. 
He has three titles, Belial, Prince of Darkness, and King of 
Evil, and he is empowered over all darkness and his every 
way, and every work are darkness. Fragment 3 mentions 
the “sons of Light,” who are ruled by a being who iden- 
tifies himself with three names: Michael, Prince of Light, 
and King of Righteousness. 

Another fragment says that all the sons of Darkness 
will be destroyed because of their foolishness and evil 
and the sons of Light will have eternal joy and rejoicing 
for all peace and truth will be made light. 


FURTHER READING: 

Collins, Andrew. From the Ashes of Angels: The Forbidden 
Legacy of a Fallen Race. London: Signet Books, 1996. 

Eisenman, Robert, and Michael Wise. The Dead Sea Scrolls 
Uncovered. London: Element Books, 1992. 


Weyer, þhann 267 


The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vols. 1 & 2. Edited by 
James H. Charlesworth. 1983. Reprint, New York: Dou- 
bleday, 1985. 


Weyer, Johann (1515-1588) German physician who 
argued against the witch hysteria and the alleged work- 
ings of the DEVIL through people and pacts. Johann 
Weyer accepted the existence of DEMONs and their ability 
to wreak evil and cause POSSESSION, but he opposed the 
torture and execution of accused witches during the 
Inquisition and refuted the belief that the Devil recruited 
people to cause harm. 


Life 

Weyer was born the middle of three sons to a Protestant 
family in Brabant. His father was a hops merchant who 
could afford to give his sons a good education. Weyer was 
15 when he went to study in the household of Heinrich 
Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim, a prominent physi- 
cian, philosopher, and occult scholar. Agrippa taught 
Weyer Platonic and Neoplatonic philosophy and intro- 
duced him to the occult works of Abbot Johannes Trithe- 
mius of Sponheim. 

The seeds of Weyer’s skepticism about the witch hyste- 
ria that gripped the 16th century may have been planted 
by Agrippa, who once defended an old woman accused 
of witchcraft, arguing that she was feeble-minded, not 
diabolical. 

Weyer’s apprenticeship with Agrippa lasted for about 
four years. Weyer studied medicine at the University of 
Paris in 1534, and at the University of Orléans from 1534 
to 1537. He learned the prevailing medical doctrine, still 
in force from ancient times, that health depends on the 
balance of four humors in the body: BLOOD, phlegm, bile, 
and black bile, or melancholy. 

After graduation, Weyer returned to Brabant and 
nearby Ravenstein to work as a physician. In 1545, he be- 
came the municipal physician for Arnhem, a much bigger 
city. At about the same time, he married Judith Wintgens, 
with whom he had four sons and a daughter. 

In 1550, Weyer was appointed to a prestigious post that 
he held for most of the rest of his career, as personal physi- 
cian to Duke William V of Julich-Berg-Cleves in Dusseldorf. 
Though Catholic, the duke was liberal-minded, and Weyer 
enjoyed a comfortable relationship with him. He pursued 
scholarly studies and writing. In 1578, he retired from his 
post with the duke. He was succeeded by one of his sons, 
Galenus, named after the famous Roman physician Galen. 
Weyer continued to write and practice medicine until his 
death in Tecklenburg on February 24, 1588. 


Works 

Weyer wrote on medicine and philosophy; of importance 
to the subject of demonology is his main work, De praes- 
tigiis daemonum, et incantationibus, ac veneficiis (On the 
illusions, spells and poisons of demons), published in 
1563, in which he attacked many of the prevailing beliefs 


[EFFIGIES IOANNIS WIERIANNO| 
ÆTATIS LX-SALVTIS M.D.LXXVI. 


Johann Weyer (AUTHOR'S COLLECTION) 


of inquisitors. Weyer revised and added to the work sev- 
eral times up to 1583. 

In 1577, he added an appendix, Pseudo-Monarchia (The 
false kingdom of the demons), to De praestigiis daemonum. 
It is an inventory and description of 68 principal demons, 
their characteristics, and how they may be conjured. The 
princes rule 7,405,926 demons organized in 1,111 LEGIONs 
of 6,666 each. Later, the Lutheran Church thought Wey- 
er’s estimate too low and raised the census of the demonic 
population to 2,665,866,746,664, or roughly 2.6 trillion. 

REGINALD SCOT, a contemporary who agreed with 
Weyer, translated Pseudo-Monarchia and included it in his 
book The Discoverie of Witchcraft (1584). 

The magical grimoire the Lemegeton, also called The 
Lesser Key of Solomon, lists the same 68 spirits and adds 
four more, and it gives SEALs for their conjuration. The 72 
are also known as SPIRITS OF SOLOMON. 

Weyer wrote De lamiis liber (On Witchcraft) in 1577. 
He used the term LAMIAE to describe female witches who 
thought they had pacts with the DEVIL. 


268 Wickland, Dr Grl A. 


Views on Demons and Witches 

Weyer rejected the Aristotelian view that demons did not 
exist in reality. He believed in the Devil and his legions of 
demons but did not believe that witches were empowered 
by the Devil to harm humankind. Nor did he believe sto- 
ries of their flying through the air and attendance at SAB- 
BATs in which the Devil was worshipped and babies were 
eaten. He thought that belief in WITCHCRAFT was caused 
by the Devil and that the church ironically served the 
cause of the Devil by promoting belief in the evil power 
of witches. 

In De praestigiis daemonum, Weyer refuted the idea 
of the demonic pact because there was no basis for it in 
the Bible. He gave a rational analysis of reports of alleged 
witch activity and concluded that most witches were de- 
luded and mentally disturbed old women, the outcasts of 
society, who were fools, not heretics. Some might wish 
harm on their neighbors but could not carry it out. If 
harm occurred coincidentally, they believed, in their de- 
lusion, that they had brought it about. He did believe that 
some witches served Satan and did harm people, but not 
through supernatural means. He urged the church to for- 
give those who repented or, at most, to levy fines upon 
them. 

Weyer believed that demons could possess peo- 
ple; however, he advocated ruling out all medical and 
natural explanations and causes before looking for the 
supernatural. 

Weyer successfully discouraged witch hunting in 
much of the Netherlands for a while but was forced out 
by the Catholic governor, the duke of Alba. His book had 
almost the opposite effect from the one he intended. He 
was savagely denounced by critics such as Jean Bodin and 
King JAMES VI AND I, both of whom favored the exter- 
mination of witches. James’ authoring of his antiwitch 
treatise, Daemonologie, was in response to the works by 
Weyer and Scot. Bodin urged that copies of Weyer’s book 
be burned. Others wrote books refuting Weyer, and these 
helped to stimulate more witch hunts. Weyer himself was 
accused of being a witch but was not formally charged. 

However, his arguments did persuade many witch 
hunters in Germany to consult physicians more often to 
rule out medical causes. 


FURTHER READING: 

Ankarloo, Bengt, and Gustav Henningsen, eds. Early Mod- 
ern European Witchcraft: Centres and Peripheries. Oxford: 
Clarendon Press, 1990. 

Russell, Jeffrey B. A History of Witchcraft. London: Thames & 
Hudson, 1980. 

Weyer, Johann. On Witchcraft (De praestigiis daemonum). 
Abridged. Edited by Benjamin G. Kohl and H. C. Erik 
Midelfort. Asheville, N.C.: Pegasus Press, 1998. 


Wickland, Dr. Carl A. (1861-1945) Physician who 
with the help of his medium wife, Anna, performed 
EXORCISMS in cases of POSSESSION caused by dead people. 


Using mild electronic current, Dr. Carl A. Wickland said 
he could force a possessing spirit to leave its victim, 
enter Anna’s body, and then finally depart forever. 

A native of Sweden, Wickland emigrated to the United 
States in 1881. He married Anna in 1896 and moved to 
Chicago to study medicine at Durham Medical College. 
After his graduation in 1900, he worked in private prac- 
tice before turning to psychiatry. He soon believed that 
spirits played an unrecognized role in psychiatric prob- 
lems and illness and began research into this uncharted 
area. 

According to Wickland, a possessing spirit often does 
not realize that its earthly form is dead. Wickland “en- 
lightened” the spirit and sent it on its way. If the spirit 
resisted, Wickland called on “helper spirits” to keep the 
possessing spirit in a so-called dungeon, out of the aura 
(energy field) of the victim or Anna, until the spirit gave 
up its selfish attitude and departed. 

To facilitate the spirit’s entrance into Anna and even- 
tual departure, Wickland invented a static electricity ma- 
chine that transmitted low-voltage electric shock to the 
patient, causing the possessing spirit great discomfort. 
The device was a forerunner of low-voltage electric shock 
treatment used in psychotherapy. 

Wickland was not concerned with proving the identi- 
ties of the possessing spirits. Rather, he believed that they 
seldom would provide evidential information because of 
their allegedly confused states of mind. Some spoke only 
in foreign tongues through his wife. 

In 1918, the Wicklands moved to Los Angeles, where 
Wickland founded the National Psychological Institute 
for the treatment of obsession. The building is still stand- 
ing and is occupied by workers in the garment industry. 

Wickland wrote of his experiences in Thirty Years 
among the Dead (1924) and The Gateway of Understanding 
(1934). Anna died in 1937, and, in the same year, the me- 
dium Minnie M. Soule, prompting Wickland to go to En- 
gland to find a new mediumistic partner. He approached 
Bertha Harris, a celebrated platform clairvoyant and 
trance psychic, but she refused. The psychical research 
establishment overlooked Wickland’s work, in part be- 
cause of he did not document information that could help 
prove the identities of the possessing spirits. 


FURTHER READING: 

Rogo, D. Scott. The Infinite Boundary. New York: Dodd, Mead, 
1987. 

Wickland, Carl. Thirty Years among the Dead. 1924. Reprint, 
N. Hollywood, Calif.: Newcastle Publishing, 1974. 


Wild Hunt A retinue of the ghostly restless dead, who 
ride through the sky on their phantom horses, accompa- 
nied by their spectral DEMON hounds (see BLACK DOGS), 
shrieking and making wild noises. The hounds and 
horses are black, with hideous eyes. The Wild Hunt is 
prominent in Celtic and Germanic folklore. The retinue 
flies through the skies on pagan holidays associated with 


witchcraft 269 


evil by Christianity, such as Walpurgisnacht (Beltane, 
April 30—May 1) and Samhain (Halloween, October 31- 
November 2). 

There are different versions of the Wild Hunt. Witches 
join the phantoms, and the ghostly train is led by demon- 
ized pagan goddesses such as Diana, Holde, Herodias, 
Hecate, and Berchta. (See CHTHONIC DEITIES.) Diana’s 
night train punished the lazy and wicked but were gener- 
ous on occasion: If a peasant left out food for them, they 
ate it and magically replenished it before they left. 

In Cornish lore, the Wild Hunt is led by Devil’s Dandy 
Dogs, who hunt the countryside for human souls. 

The Sluagh, or the Host of Celtic lore, is a band of the 
unforgiven dead of the Highland FAIRY folk. 


Winged Dragon FALLEN ANGEL and one of the 72 SPIR- 
ITS OF SOLOMON. Winged Dragon has the limbs of a 
dragon, wings on its back and the face, and the feet of a 
man. His activity is to copulate with certain beautiful 
women through their buttocks. In the Testament of Solo- 
mon, he tells King Solomon that one woman he attacked 
bore a child that became Eros. The woman was killed by 
others. While he is speaking, the demon breathes out fire 
that burns the forest of Lebanon and all the wood 
intended for the construction of the Temple of God. 

Solomon learns that the Winged Dragon is thwarted 
by the angel Bazazath. He invokes this angel and then 
condemns the demon to cut marble for the building of 
the temple. 


FURTHER READING: 

The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vols. 1 & 2. Edited by 
James H. Charlesworth. 1983. Reprint, New York: Dou- 
bleday, 1985. 


Wishmaster (1997) Horror film in which an evil DJINN 
is unleashed in the world. Directed by Robert Kurzman, 
the film stars Tammy Lauren as Alexandra Amberson, 
Robert Englund as Raymond Beaumont, and Andrew 
Divoff as the djinn, also known as Nathaniel Demerest. 
Kane Hodder plays a role as a guard. 

According to the back story, God created djinn of 
smokeless fire and pushed them out of the earth to make 
way for humans, condemning them to the void between 
the worlds of ANGELs and humans. The djinn wish to re- 
claim the world, and thus they are at war with humanity. 
If a human awakens a djinn, it grants three wishes, after 
which it is free to summon hordes of fellow djinn into the 
world. In Persia, in 1187, a sorcerer trapped an extremely 
powerful djinn in a stone and buried it inside a statue of 
the god Ahura Mazda. 

In present times, the statue is taken to New York. Its 
crate is dropped by a drunken crane operator, and the 
statue breaks and the stone flies out. It winds up at an 
auction house, where Amberson and Beaumont attempt 
to identify and appraise it. Amberson accidentally re- 
leases the djinn, who is now freed to wreak havoc. 


The djinn disguises himself as a wealthy man, De- 
merest. He attacks people and kills them for their souls. 
However, he is obligated to grant Amberson three wishes 
before he can summon djinn reinforcements into the 
world. She learns his true identity. He tries to trick her 
and succeeds in making her waste two wishes. 

Her third wish is that the crane operator was not 
drunk on the day the statue was unloaded from the ship. 
This wish changes history. The crate does not break, the 
statue is not shattered, and the stone, entrapping the 
djinn, remains hidden inside the statue. 

Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies was released in 1999 
and was directed by Jack Sholder. Divoff again plays the 
djinn. Morgana (Holly Fields) is a not-very-bright thief. 
With her partner, she attempts to steal a rare statue from 
a museum. The heist fails, her partner is killed, and the 
djinn is released. In this plot, the djinn must collect 1,001 
human souls before he can start the apocalypse. He also 
must still grant the three wishes to the one who freed 
him, Morgana. 

Demerest commits a crime that puts him in prison, 
where he begins his collection of souls. Then, he relent- 
lessly pursues Morgana to fulfill the requirement of the 
three wishes. Aided by a priest, Morgana manages to de- 
feat the djinn, but not as cleverly as her predecessor hero- 
ine in the original film. 

Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell was released in 
2001, followed by Wishmaster 4: The Prophecy Fulfilled in 
2002. In Wishmaster 3, a college girl, Diana Collins (A. 
J. Cook), accidentally frees the djinn (John Novak). He 
goes on a rampage on campus, until she figures out how 
to send him back to his prison in the stone. Wishmas- 
ter 4 features a painter, Sam (Jason Thompson), and his 
girlfriend, Lisa (Tara Spencer-Naim). Sam has an accident 
that leaves him paralyzed. Lisa engages a lawyer, Steven 
(Michael Trucco), to file a lawsuit. He develops a crush on 
Lisa. Steven refuses to take money for the case and gives 
Lisa a jewel he has found hidden in his desk. It imprisons 
the djinn (Novak), which is now released, and takes Pos- 
SESSION of Steven. He tries to win over Lisa. She inadver- 
tently makes three wishes, the third of which is to love 
Steven as he really is. Knowing that his true djinn form 
will repulse her, he refuses, but he offers Lisa the choice 
of ruling with him when the djinn overtake the world or 
being cast down into HELL. Sam arrives and thwarts the 
action. He dies and Lisa survives. The djinn fails. 


witchcraft A type of SORCERY involving the magical 
manipulation of supernormal forces through the casting 
of spells and the conjuring or invoking of spirits. Beliefs 
about witchcraft are universal, but there is no universal 
definition of witchcraft. Anthropologists define witchcraft 
as an innate, inborn condition involving the use of 
malevolent power by psychic means with no need for rit- 
ual or CHARM. In most societies, witches are believed to 
use their supernatural powers more for evil than for 


270 witchcraft 


good. However, “white witches” practicing folk medi- 
cines and spells are consulted for protection and for 
ensuring good fortunes. 

In the West, witchcraft was especially feared during 
the Middle Ages and during the Inquisition, in conjunc- 
tion with fears about the DEvIL and demonic influences. 
Witches were regarded as servants of the Devil, who made 
PACTs of worship in exchange for FAMILIARs and malevo- 
lent supernatural powers. 

In 1484, the Catholic Church, in a bull issued by Pope 
Innocent VIII, declared witchcraft to be a heresy, thus en- 
abling inquisitors to persecute any enemy of the church. 
The charge of witchcraft was nearly impossible to refute, 
and the accused usually were severely tortured until they 
confessed to having familiars, worshipping the Devil, 
having sex with DEMONS, and casting evil spells. Witch 
hunting became a profitable pursuit and an effective way 
to take revenge on one’s enemies. 

In the 16th-century, the Protestant Reformation con- 
tinued the campaign against witches; MARTIN LUTHER 
called them “the Devil’s whores.” The witch hysteria af- 
fected Europe, including Britain, and America. It died 
down by the end of the 18th century, but prejudices 


SLL, 


y 


E 


N 


is a 
= 


Satan holds court for new witches. (AUTHOR’S COLLECTION) 


against witches and fears of their malevolent powers re- 
mained. Nonetheless, “folk witches,” people who pos- 
sessed magical skills, especially for healing, fertility, luck, 
and divination, continued to function especially in rural 
areas. “White witchcraft,” or good magic, still flourished 
from the 18th century on. 

The stain of the Inquisition was impossible to remove, 
however, and many people still perceived a “witch” as 
a malevolent person in league with the Devil, and anti- 
witch sentiment continued. In England, continental Eu- 
rope, and even America, there were outbreaks of violence 
against suspected witches all through the 19th century 
and into the early 20th century. The worst case in North 
America was the SALEM WITCHCRAFT HYSTERIA in Salem, 
Massachusetts, in 1692-93, which led to the imprison- 
ment of hundreds of accused witches and the deaths of 
19 people. 


Witchcraft the Religion 

In the 1950s, witchcraft was reinvented as a religion, a 
movement that started in England and gained popular- 
ity through the efforts of Gerald B. Gardner and others. 
Gardner followed the work of the British anthropologist 
Margaret A. Murray, who, in the 1920s and 1930s, had 
claimed that witchcraft comprised the remnants of an 
“Old Religion” based on pagan beliefs and practices cen- 
tered around the Horned God, a Pan-like deity. 

Gardner claimed to be initiated by a coven of “hered- 
itary witches,” followers of the Old Religion. He feared 
that Witchcraft, spelled with a capital W to distinguish 
it as a religion, not a sorcery, was in danger of dying out 
through its lack of young members. Until 1951, witch- 
craft was still a serious crime in England, according to an 
old law still on the books. The law was repealed in that 
year, enabling people to be witches openly. 

Gardner formed his own coven. He said his fellow 
Witches had given him a framework of rituals, including 
initiations. He obtained additional rituals from ALEISTER 
CROWLEY, whom he met in 1946. He borrowed additional 
material from ritual magic practiced by such orders as 
the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the Freemasons, 
and the Rosicrucians, as well as sex magic rituals from 
the Ordo Templi Orientis, of which Crowley had been a 
leader in England. Gardner also mixed in Eastern mysti- 
cism and magic. 

In 1953, he initiated Doreen Valiente, with whom he 
collaborated in writing and revising the rituals. Under 
Valiente’s influence, the “ancient laws” of Witchcraft 
took on a more Christian flavor, with an emphasis on 
using magic only for good and avoiding associations 
with the demonic. The religion of Witchcraft was an im- 
mediate sensation and attracted adherents around the 
world. Murray’s theory of the unbroken existence of an 
Old Religion was disproved, but that did not discourage 
potential initiates from joining covens. For many, the 
new religion was a refreshing change from traditional 
faiths. 


Witches of Eastwick, The 271 


Witchcraft the religion, also called Wicca, has become 
the largest segment of modern Pagan religions. There 
are numerous traditions, many involving reconstruc- 
tions of pagan beliefs and practices, as well as shamanic 
elements. 


Luciferian Witchcraft 

A tradition of Luciferian Witchcraft, founded by Michael 
W. Ford, emphasizes the Left Hand Path of magic cen- 
tered on the Devil, the Adversary, the gnosis of FALLEN 
ANGELS, and sex magic. The practitioner becomes like 
Cain, isolated and living outside the natural order of so- 
ciety, in order to focus inward. According to Ford, Lu- 
ciferian Witchcraft complements the philosophies and 
works of Crowley; Anton Szandor Lavey, who founded 
the Church of Satan (see SATANISM); and the English oc- 
cultist AUSTIN OSMAN SPARE, who created a unique system 
of sigil MAGIC. 

One of the central rites in Luciferian Witchcraft is the 
Dragon within the Triangle of Darkness, an evocation 
circle for the meeting of Daemon and Man and Woman, 
“to uplift and envenom their spirit with the Adversarial 
Gnosis.” The Adversary challenges and tests; the initiate 
descends into darkness and chaos to emerge as a Lucife- 
rian Bringer of Light. The black magick and witchcraft of 
the Luciferian tradition involve the shadow aspects of the 
sorcerer’s own psyche. A permanent pact is made with 
the forces of darkness and chaos, and a Sigillium Diaboli 
is imprinted upon the body, mind, and spirit. The goal is 
a path of self-development in Light. 


FURTHER READING: 

Ford, Michael W. Luciferian Witchcraft. Lulu.com, 2005. 

Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. The Encyclopedia of Witches and 
Witchcraft. 2nd ed. New York: Facts On File, 1999. 

Russell, Jeffrey Burton. A History of Witchcraft. London: 
Thames & Hudson, 1980. 


Witches of Eastwick, The A novel (1984) by John 
Updike about three women in a small Rhode Island town 
who become involved with a man who is really the Devil. 
A 1987 film based on the novel with the same title fea- 
tures Jack Nicholson as the Devil. 

In the plot, Alexandra Spofford, a sculptress; Jane 
Smart, a cellist; and Sukie Rougemont, a reporter for the 
local Eastwick newspaper, have all dabbled in the slightly 
black arts since losing their husbands through death 
or divorce. A few spells, such as willing shoes to untie, 
pearl necklaces to break, or storms to appear; or collect- 
ing herbs and animal leavings while “skyclad” (naked); 
or flying late at night, help relieve the tedium of raising 
unwanted children and going from one unfulfilling lover 
to another. Each has found a third teat, possibly a wart, 
on her body, supposedly a witch’s mark or DEVIL'S MARK, 
and each has a large dog, or FAMILIAR. Just living in New 
England puts them in the area where American witch- 
craft beliefs traditionally have been strongest. 


Jack Nicholson as Darryl Van Horne, the Devil, who entertains 
three women of Eastwick, played by Cher, Susan Sarandon, and 
Michelle Pfeifer, in The Witches of Eastwick (1987) 
(AUTHOR’S COLLECTION) 


Drawn to the mischief, a dark, wealthy, mysterious 
stranger, Darryl Van Horne, moves to Eastwick and oc- 
cupies a large old estate. No one else lives with him but 
his servant, Fidel. As in medieval descriptions of the 
Devil, he is ugly, with a hairy body. He easily seduces 
Alexandra, Sukie, and Jane into sexual liaisons, both 
singly and together. Also as in legends of the Devil, his 
body fluids are cold, and he asks the women to kiss his 
backside. 

The witchy women add Van Horne to their coven, 
joining him and Fidel for parties with exotic food, plenty 
of alcohol, and still more sex. Their SABBATs are like 
the alleged orgies of earlier Devil worshippers, and the 
women seem to know when to congregate at Van Horne’s 
without being invited. They share with him their opin- 
ions about the wives of the other men they sleep with, 
especially Felicia Gabriel, the wife of Sukie’s boss and 
editor, Clyde. To punish Felicia for her strident, narrow 
opinions about Sukie and the others, the witches cast a 
spell on her, causing Felicia to vomit feathers, pennies, 
thumbtacks, eggshells, and pieces of insects. Their ma- 
leficia, or evildoing, yields more evil: Clyde can tolerate 
Felicia’s ranting no longer and kills her with a poker be- 
fore hanging himself. 


272 Witches of Eastwick, The 


The longer the witches are influenced by Van Horne, 
the easier evil becomes. Alexandra wills a barking dog to 
death. She no longer feels any sexual desire; nor do some 
of the witches’ lovers. They appear victims of the aiguil- 
lette, or the knot: a device used by witches to draw illicit 
lovers together, cause impotence in men and barrenness 
in women, and foment general discontent. Once started 
in a community, Alexandra notes, witchcraft eventually 
runs on its own, out of anyone’s control. 

When Van Horne marries Jenny Gabriel, Felicia and 
Clyde’s daughter, the women take revenge. Like a medi- 
eval sorcerer, Jane flies to the Van Horne mansion, shrinks 
herself, and collects pieces of Jenny (tissues with lipstick 
stains, hair, used dental floss, hairs left in the tub after 
shaving her legs) so that the women can make a charm. 
The wax figurine is given a female shape, adorned with 
Jenny’s hair, and stabbed with tacks. Incantations are re- 
cited, and the women ask that Jenny die of cancer. The 
witches are later struck with some guilt and attempt to 
undo the spell, but Jenny dies, anyway. Van Horne, for 
all his sexual encounters and rhetoric on the importance 
of women, takes Jenny’s brother, Chris, as his lover and 
disappears. 

In the film version of The Witches of Eastwick, directed 
by George Miller, the women—played by Cher as Alex- 
andra, Susan Sarandon as Jane, and Michelle Pfeiffer as 


Sukie—are not witches but merely bored women before 
Darryl Van Horne, played by Jack Nicholson, arrives 
in Eastwick. He introduces them to magic and orgies, 
which the women enjoy immensely until their witchy 
dabbling culminates in Felicia Gabriel’s murder. Before 
her death, Felicia vomits enormous quantities of cherry 
seeds, which Van Horne and the women were spitting out 
of their mouths at a party. The more they eat, the more 
seeds she excretes. 

Jenny Gabriel is not part of the movie plot at all, and 
this time the wax figurine is of Van Horne himself as the 
women try to purge the Devil from their lives. He has 
impregnated all three, and they wish him gone before the 
babies are born. They succeed, and he leaves with hor- 
rifying special effects. 

One interesting note about the filming of the movie: 
The producers originally planned to shoot the outdoor 
scenes in Rhode Island, as in the novel, but local protest 
by practicing witches and others forced them to move the 
location to Cohasset, Massachusetts. The protests were 
led by Laurie Cabot, prominent Salem witch and cochair 
of the Witches League of Public Awareness. The league 
objected to the book for portraying what they said were 
inaccurate stereotypes about witches; modern practitio- 
ners of WITCHCRAFT as a religion (Wicca) do not worship 
the Devil. 


Xipe Totec Aztec trickster vampire DEMON of the 
underworld. Xipe Totec is called the “night drinker” 
because he sucks the BLOOD of souls of the dead who 
drop off to sleep instead of doing their penance. Ene- 
mies of the Aztec feared him as the god of penitence 
and sacrificed prisoners of war to him. 

According to one story, Zipe Totec went to a vil- 
lage and convinced the residents that their sins had 


273 


taken the form of a huge monster that lurked outside 
town and cast spells over people. He told them they 
had to bind the monster and throw it over a cliff. He 
led the townspeople to a spot where he conjured an 
imaginary monster. Believing it to be real, the people 
bound it and took it to the edge of a cliff. Zipe Totec 
tricked their eyes, and the people fell off the cliff to 
their deaths. 


Yacatecutli See TZITZIMIME. covering the mouth while yawning has nothing to do 

with politeness, but with preventing demonic entry and 
yawning In folklore, a means by which DEMONs can soul loss. In colonial America, it was customary to snap 
enter the body, and the soul can escape. The custom of the fingers when yawning in order to scare away demons. 


274 


Zaffis, John (1956— ) Paranormal investigator and 
author. John Zaffis is recognized as one of the leading 
authorities on demonic hauntings and POSSESSION. In 
more than 30 years, he has worked on more than 7,000 
cases internationally, including assisting in more than 
90 cases of genuine demonic possession. He has worked 
with clergy of different faiths and has participated in 
EXORCISMS. Zaffis does not refer to himself as a DEMON- 
OLOGIST, a term he says is used too loosely in the para- 
normal field. 

Zaffis was born on December 18, 1956, in Bridgeport, 
Connecticut, the youngest of three children (two sisters) 
of John and Babette Warren Zaffis. Zaffis’ mother was the 
twin of the demonologist ED WARREN. As children, the 
Warrens had experienced haunting phenomena. Unlike 
Ed, who made the paranormal his career, Babette was 
frightened of the paranormal and did not want her own 
children involved in it. John, psychically sensitive, was 
drawn to it, anyway. At a young age, he became fascinated 
by the stories Ed and his wife, LORRAINE WARREN, told 
about their cases. 

His interest in the paranormal heightened at about age 
15 to 16, when he had a bedside visit from an apparition. 
The transparent form of a man appeared at the foot of 
his bed, shaking its head as if to say no. Zaffis’s mother 
thought the apparition was his deceased grandfather. 
Shortly after the experience, his grandmother died. 

When Zaffis turned 18, Ed Warren allowed him to 
participate in their cases. Warren cautioned him that de- 


275 


mons always try to destroy those who work in the field 
and will, through temptation, try to make individuals 
destroy themselves. Zaffis was determined to become in- 
volved, and Ed schooled him on demonology. For about 
12 years, he stayed in the background of the Warrens’ 
work, observing and learning. Gradually, he worked 
more in the forefront on cases of hauntings and demonic 
possession. 

Zaffis studied engineering and quality control at sev- 
eral colleges. On October 13, 1984, he married Cheryl 
Dimichelle; the couple have three children, two daugh- 
ters and a son. They live in Stratford. 

In 1998, Zaffis founded the Paranormal Research So- 
ciety of New England (PRSNE) and began working with 
his own group. The same year, his mother died. She has 
made two after-death visits to John; the second visit oc- 
curred in 2004, just before Zaffis’ father died. After her 
death, Babette sometimes appeared in Ed’s dreams prior 
to significant events. 

Demonic cases have been on the rise, especially since 
about 2000, Zaffis says. He receives requests to investi- 
gate several cases a week—sometimes as many as 10 to 
15 in a single day. He often works with BISHOP ROBERT 
MCKENNA, of the Our Lady of the Rosary Chapel in Mon- 
roe, Connecticut. The majority of cases do not require 
exorcisms; for example, places with negative spirit at- 
tachments can respond to clearings. Not all malevolent 
entities in hauntings are demonic; some are bad-tempered 
ghosts of humans. 


276 Zagan 


John Zaffis (COURTESY JOHN ZAFFIS) 


Many demonic problems can be traced to misuse of a 
OuyA™ or other form of divination that opens a door wide 
to the spirit world, particularly to deceitful entities who 
masquerade as dead loved ones, higher spiritual teachers, 
and so forth, while they gain control. Sometimes one of 
the first signs of INFESTATION is a knocking on a door or a 
window; when it is opened, no one is present. However, 
the opening provides a literal means and invitation for 
the invisible to enter. 

Zaffis acknowledges that demonic cases continue to 
have frightening aspects, even after so many years of 
work in the field. The powers of evil work relentlessly, 
and he has seen many a strong person buckle. He does 
not describe himself as a devout Catholic but says that 
the working of evil powers has strengthened his belief in 
God. Having a strong foundation of religious faith—in 
any religion—is crucial in the work. 

One of the most unsettling experiences Zaffis has had 
was the materialization of a reptilelike entity in a former 
funeral home in Southington, Connecticut. The funeral 
home, turned into a private residence, had negative activ- 
ity that was plaguing a family who had moved in. Zaf- 
fis, the Warrens, and others conducted an investigation 
that involved 24-hour monitoring of the premises. One 
night, while Zaffis was a monitor, alone in a room, the 
temperature dropped, and he had a sensation that some- 
thing was about to happen. Turning and looking up, he 
saw a murky-colored reptilian form materialize at the top 


of the stairs and descend toward him. Behind it were flut- 
tering movements. It repeated in an audible voice, “You 
know what they did to us.” Zaffis grabbed his car keys and 
exited the house. It took him three days to return, dur- 
ing which he withdrew from the work and questioned his 
involvement in it. He ultimately concluded that there are 
people who need help in dealing with the demonic, and he 
could not retire from helping them at any cost. As for the 
funeral home, a full exorcism was performed by Roman 
Catholic clergy. 

Zaffis has experienced a wide range of paranormal 
phenomena, which often kick up at home before a signifi- 
cant demonic case is under way. Lights going on and off, 
knockings and rapping, car problems, and so forth, are 
not uncommon. 

Zaffis has collected objects with spirit attachments 
since the beginning of his paranormal investigations. 
Bindings and prayers have been said over the objects 
to neutralize or terminate the attachments. Some of the 
more troublesome objects are in acrylic cases to prevent 
people from handling them and being affected by them. 
One of the most significant pieces is an idol, now in a 
case, once owned by a young man who was interested 
in black magic. The youth was adversely affected by the 
spirit in the idol, which instructed him to kill himself. 
Fortunately, he did not, but an exorcism was necessary to 
end his occult problems. 

In 2006, Zaffis was involved in a difficult case of de- 
monic possession and encountered a prince of HELL, a 
high-ranking DEMON. The victim, who had become pos- 
sessed after practicing black magic, showed the unusual 
symptom of the eyes changing from their natural brown 
color to opaque milky white three times; this was cap- 
tured on videotape. 

Zaffis made numerous media and lecture appearances. 
He is the coauthor, with Brian McIntyre, of Shadows of the 
Dark (2004), about his paranormal career and some of his 
most notable cases. Some of his collection of POSSESSED 
POSSESSIONS is featured in Possessed Possessions Vol. I, co- 
authored with ADAM CHRISTIAN BLAI. 

The Southington case served as the basis of the film A 
Haunting in Connecticut, released in 2009. 


FURTHER READING: 

John Zaffis Web site. Available online. URL: http://www. 
johnzaffis.com. Accessed February 18, 2009. 

Zaffis, John, and Brian McIntyre. Shadows of the Dark. New 
York: iUniverse, 2004. 


Zagan FALLEN ANGEL and 6lst of the 72 SPIRITS OF 
SOLOMON. Zagan is a president and king who appears, 
first as a bull with griffin wings and then as a man. He 
makes men clever and witty, turns water into wine, 
blood into oil and oil into water, and wine into water 
or BLOOD. Zagan can turn any metal into money and 
can make fools wise. He commands 33 LEGIONs of 
DEMONS. 


Zoroastrianism 277 


zar In Muslim lore, a possessing DJINN that usually 
attacks women and refuses to leave until the victim receives 
lavish gifts of jewelry, perfume, clothes, and dainty foods. 

Second-class citizens under male domination, Mus- 
lim women rely on the zar to give them some measure of 
power and privilege. Husbands must provide expensive 
gifts and sweetmeats to create peace in the household. 
Such appeasement raises suspicions of manipulation, but 
so ingrained in Islamic culture is the belief in spirit inter- 
ference that husbands dare not tempt fate. Descriptions of 
zar possessions were recorded in the early 19th century 
by travelers to the Egypt and the Middle East. The “cult of 
the zar” continues in areas in modern times. 

The usual POSSESSION and EXORCISM of the zar proceed 
as follows: The victim, suffering from some minor com- 
plaint, blames possession by the zar, and other female 
relatives prevent her from seeing a medical doctor, pre- 
ferring the services of an old woman who is a female sha- 
man, a shechah-ez-zar. For a fee, the shechah identifies a 
zar as the source of the woman's troubles and interrogates 
the zar, sometimes in a recognizable language and some- 
times in zar language, understood only by the shechah. 
After repeated conversations, the zar offers to leave once 
the possessed victim receives specific lavish gifts and at- 
tention from her husband. 

On the afternoon of the zar’s scheduled departure, a 
“beating the zar” ceremony is performed at the victim's 
home. The victim's female friends and relatives join her 
for the ceremony, often accompanied by food, coffee, and 
a flute and drumming performance. The shechah and her 
assistants chant the final exorcism rites, with music, and 
then often sacrifice a lamb. The lamb’s BLOOD is rubbed 
on the victim’s forehead and elsewhere. She then dances 
madly, sways, and finally faints. The zar leaves, satisfied 
that the victim has been rewarded. 

In some ceremonies, the questioning of the zar is done 
after the victim and others dance and enter trance. The 
shechah asks for a remedy to the malady, and the zar spec- 
ifies gifts. The ecstatic dancers may be shown silver rings 
and bracelets and other objects, which pacify the zar. 

On a day fixed by the zar, another fit can occur, which 
can be relieved only by the satisfying of a wish. 

Zar exorcisms have become part of contemporary ur- 
ban Islamic culture. In many large cities, such as Cairo, 
regular exorcisms are held in a public building as often as 
once a week. The length of the ceremony, from three to 
seven nights, depends upon the fee that can be paid. 

Women from all walks of life participate, whirling 
and dancing until the spirit leaves them and they return 
home, exhausted but entertained. Relief from the pos- 
session may be only temporary, and it may return with 
another infraction committed by a husband. Men are ex- 
pected to believe in the possession, which, in addition to 
giving women the freedom to ask for gifts, permits them 
to scold and upbraid their husbands in a manner that 
would be forbidden under normal circumstances. 


Nineteenth-century accounts of zar possession in Ab- 
yssinia describe a different cult that affected men as well 
as women, blamed on the zar, or bouddha, evil spirit. The 
victim typically was afflicted in the middle of the night. 
He would run out, roll on the ground, and scream un- 
til exhausted and still. The remedy consisted of taking 
a hen, swinging it around the head, and smashing it to 
the ground. If the hen died immediately, it meant the 
zar had passed into the body of the fowl and the victim 
was cleared. If the hen survived, the remedy had to be 
repeated until a bird died. 


FURTHER READING: 

Ebon, Martin. The Devils Bride, Exorcism: Past and Present. 
New York: Harper & Row, 1974. 

Lewis, I. M. Ecstatic Religion: An Anthropological Study of 
Spirit Possession and Shamanism. Middlesex, England: 
Penguin Books, 1971. 

Oesterreich, Traugott K. Possession and Exorcism. Secaucus, 
NJ.: University Books, 1966. 


Zarika In ZOROASTRIANISM, the arch-DEMON of evil 
thirst. Zarika is paired with TARU (evil hunger) and 
makes poison for Taru to give to plants and animals. 
Zarika opposes Amurdat, a good amesha spenta. 


Zepar FALLEN ANGEL and 16th of the 72 SPIRITS OF 
SOLOMON. Zepar is a duke who appears wearing red 
clothing and armed as a soldier. He makes women love 
men and can transform them into other shapes until they 
have been enjoyed by their lovers. Alternately, he makes 
women barren. He commands 26 LEGIONs of DEMONs in 
HELL. 


Zohak See AZHI DAHAKA. 


Zoroastrianism Religion of ancient Persia based on the 
teachings of the prophet Zarasthustra (Zoroaster in 
Greek). Zoroastrianism influenced the development of 
Western angelologies and demonologies. 

Zarathustra may have been born as early as 650 B.C.E. 
Historical documentation of his life is fragmentary, and 
documents attributed to him have been dated hundreds 
of years apart. It may never be known for certain whether 
the original prophet or one of the followers composed the 
Gathas, songs or odes of the sacred book of Zoroastrian- 
ism, and the Avesta, the religion’s central doctrines and 
creation myth. 

Zoroastrianism shares common ground with Hindu- 
ism and borrows some of its deities but differs from it 
in significant ways. Its cosmology is dualistic, and the 
conflict between the forces of good and evil is played out 
on a hierarchical scale of spiritual and material spheres. 
Some Hindu demigods named in the Yashts, a document 
similar to the song cycle of the earliest Indo-Aryans, the 
Rig-Veda, are turned into ANGELs. As Zoroastrianism 
was reformed, the gods and demigods called DAEvAs (de- 


278 Zoroastrianism 


vas) in the Veda were demonized, and the class of deity 
called ahura by Iranians and asura by the Indians were 
eliminated. The exception is Ahura Mazda (later called 
Ohrmazd), who was elevated to the status of the one true 
God from whom all other divinities proceed. 

Evil is a separate principle and substance standing 
against the good God and threatening to destroy him. 
Against the God stands Angra Mainyu (in Hinduism, 
Aryaman), later AHRIMAN, the Destructive Spirit. The 
duration of this conflict is limited; Ohrmazd will defeat 
Ahriman. God needs humans’ help in his battle with the 
“Lie,” as the principle of evil is frequently called in the 
ancient documents. Evil is not identified with matter. The 
material world is the handiwork of God, a weapon fash- 
ioned by the Deity with which to smite the Evil One. The 
world is the trap God sets for the DEVIL, and, in the end, 
Ohrmazd will deal Ahriman the death blow. 

According to the Bundahishn, or Book of the Pri- 
mal Creation, the two antagonists had always existed in 
time, but when Ohrmazd first chants the Ahunvar (True 
Speech), the key prayer of Zoroastrianism, it reveals to 
Ahriman that his annihilation is certain. Assaulted by 
this truth, Ahriman falls unconscious for 3,000 years. 
Ohrmazd creates the universe, the two worlds (spiritual 
and material), as a weapon with which to defeat Ahriman. 
An unorthodox text called the Zurvan indicates that early 
creation myths varied or were altered, for in the Zervanite 
version, Ahriman creates first the Lying Word (the ex- 
act opposite of the Ahunvar) and then Akoman, the Evil 
Mind, which he could not do if he were unconscious. 

The human soul is a spiritual being called fravashi or 
fravahr, a concept that encompasses not only individual 
human souls and guardian angels, but also local genii, 
the intelligences of places. 

Both human body and its fravashi are creatures of 
Ohrmazd and his wife/daughter Spandarmat, the Earth. 
The soul preexists the human body but is not eternally pre- 
existent as in many Eastern religions. Humankind belongs 
to Ohrmazd and will return to him. The first Primal Man 
mates with Ahriman’s “Demon Whore.” Each individual is 
free to choose good or evil, but evil is an unnatural act. 
Life on Earth is a battle between Ohrmazd and his atten- 
dant Powers, on one hand, and Ahriman and his demonic 
hordes, on the other. For Zarasthustra, it was a very real 
battle, since daeva worshippers were still adherents of the 
traditional religion; he identified these with all that is evil. 


Forces of Good 

Ohrmazd is helped by the six amarahspands (or Amesha 
Spenta), the Bounteous Immortals, who are comparable 
to archangels and serve as Ohrmazd’s ministers. After 
Ohrmazd adopts Man, each of the amarahspands adopts 
one of the material creations. Their names are personifi- 
cations of abstract concepts or virtues: 


e Vahuman: Good Thought, Good Mind 
e Artvahisht: Best Righteousness, Truth 


e Shahrevar: Choice Kingdom, Material Sovereignty 

e Spandarmat: Bounteous Right-Mindedness, Wisdom 
in Piety; also identified with Earth 

e Hurdat: Health, Wholeness, Salvation 

e Amurdat: Life, Immortality 


Beneath the ahmarahspands are the yazatas (ador- 
able beings), who are legion and are divided into heavenly 
(spiritual) and earthly (material) subcategories. Ohrmazd 
himself leads the spiritual Yazatas, and Zarasthustra the 
material Yazatas. They have assignments, as do the celestial 
intelligences and the DAIMONES of water, air, fire, and earth. 


Forces of Evil 

Ahriman is served by a host of DEMONS, most of which 
are personified vices, such as concupiscence, anger, sloth, 
and heresy. There are six archdemons, who oppose the 
amarahspands and try to destroy their good work. Ac- 
cording to the Bundahishn, they are assisted by “furies 
in great multitude,” who are “demons of ruin, pain, and 
growing old, producers of vexation and vile, revivers of 
grief, the progeny of gloom, and vileness, who are many, 
very numerous, and very notorious.” 

The six archdemons are the following: 


e Akoman, the Evil Mind, foments vile thoughts and 
discord and opposes the amesha spenta, or good 
spirit of Vahuman, who opposes Vahuman 

e ANDRA, the Slayer, who opposes Artvahisht 

e Naoghatya, rules arrogance, presumption, disobedi- 
ence, insubordination, and contempt and opposes 
Spandarmat, an amesha spenta, or good spirit 

e Saru, the Tyrant, opposes the good spirit (amesha 
spenta) of Shahrevar and oversees misgovernment, 
anarchy, and drunkenness 

e TARU, Evil Hunger, opposes Hurdat 

e ZARIKA, Evil Thirst, opposes Amurdat 


Numerous other demons populate the mythology. 
Among them are the following: 


e Akatasa, who shapes evil and is “the fiend of inquis- 
itiveness” and meddling 

e Anaxsti, who sows discord 

e Apaosa, who fights the rain god Trishtya and always 
loses in the end and rides a black bald horse 

e Araiti, who encourages stinginess 

e Arast (Araska), who spreads falsehood and lies, mal- 
ice, envy, and jealousy 

e Asrusti, who incites disobedience 

e Ayasi, who governs the EVIL EYE 

e Daiwi daeva, who encourages lying 

e Driwi daeva, who rules beggary 

e Freftar, who orchestrates deceit and seduction 

e Kasvi daeva, who rules spite 

e Mahmi, who tried to convince the creator god 
Ohrmazd that if he had sex with his mother, the 
Sun would be born, and if he had sex with his sister, 
the Moon would be born 


Zotz 279 


e Paitisa daeva, who governs counteraction and oppo- 
sition and is “the most devilish of demons,” person- 
ifying the power of Ahriman to ruin the world 

e Pus, who rules miserliness and hoarding 

e Shetaspih, who personifies Christianity 

e Spazga, who foments slander, calumny, backbiting, 
and gossip 

e Spenjargak, who raises storms 

e Vareno, who incites lust and illicit sex 

e Vatya daeva, who battles good winds to create 
storms 

e Vaya, “the merciless one,” who plagues the souls 
of the dead when they arrive at the Chinvat Bridge 
to the underworld and tries to interfere with their 
passage 

e Vizares, who struggles with the souls of the dead 
for three days and nights after their passing, binds 
them, drags them off to torment, and sits at the 
gates of HELL 

e Vyambura daeva, who vampirizes the living 

e Xru, who foments murder 

e Zamaka, who rules the evils of winter 

e Zaurvan, who rules old age, decrepitude, and wast- 
ing away 


Zoroastrianism in Practice 

There are four major arms of Zoroastrianism: the teach- 
ings of Zarathustra; the teachings of Mazdaism, which 
made Ahriman creator and leader of the daevas; the teach- 
ings of Zeravanism; and the teaching of the Magi. 

The Islamic conquest of Iran in the seventh century 
scattered Zoroastrian sects and caused a decline in the re- 
ligion. Many Zoroastrians emigrated east to India, where 
they are called Parsis. In present times, there are fewer 
than half a million followers, most of whom live in and 
around Bombay, India. 

Zoroastrians consider their role in this world as to co- 
operate with nature and to lead a virtuous life; they op- 
pose all forms of asceticism and monasticism. Their duty 
is to marry and rear children, for human life on Earth is 
a sheer necessity if Ahriman is to be defeated. Agricul- 
ture is honored for making the earth fruitful, strong, and 
abundant in order to resist the Enemy, who is the author 
of disease and death. There is a rigid dogmatism preserv- 
ing the purity of the body, the care of useful animals, ag- 
ricultural practice, and strict ritual observance. Celibacy 
is both unnatural and wicked. 

On the moral plane, all the emphasis is on righteous- 
ness or truth and on good works, for deeds are the sole 
criterion by which one is judged after parting this life 


on the “Bridge of the Requiter,” the bridge of Rashn the 
Righteous, who impartially weighs each soul’s good and 
evil deeds. If there is a preponderance of good, the soul 
proceeds to heaven, but if of evil, it is dragged off to HELL. 
If good and evil deeds are exactly equal, the soul goes to 
the “place of the mixed,” where it experiences mild cor- 
rection, and the only pains suffered are those of heat and 
cold. Zoroastrian hell is like the Christian purgatory in 
that the punishment is only temporary. The final purga- 
tion from sin takes place at the Last Judgment at the end 
of time. The stain left by sin is purged from all souls, and 
from this all without exception emerge spotless. None is 
punished eternally for sins committed in time. 

Sin is viewed as perversity; it is a failure to recognize 
who is your friend and who is your enemy. Ohrmazd is 
one’s friend and Ahriman is the enemy, from whom all 
evil and suffering proceed. Unlike the Western God, 
Ohrmazd does not permit evil, for such would give him 
characteristics of Ahriman. Monotheists have been de- 
ceived in this way, and this represents a genuine triumph 
for Ahriman, for besides being the Destroyer, he is the 
Deceiver, the Liar, and his deception takes the form of 
persuading people that evil proceeds from God. But his 
triumph is short-lived, for in the end all human souls, 
reunited with their bodies, return to Ohrmazd, who is 
their creator and father. 


FURTHER READING: 

Dhalla, Maneckji Nusservanji. History of Zoroastrianism. New 
York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1938. Reprint, 
Brooklyn, N.Y.: AMS Press, 1977. 

Jackson, A. V. Williams. Zoroastrian Studies. Whitefish, 
Mont.: Kessinger, 2003. 

Zaehner, R. C. The Dawn and Twilight of Zoroastrianism. New 
York: Putnam, 1961. 


Zotz Fearsome Mayan DEMON and a lord of the under- 
world. Zotz is a huge winged being with the head of a 
dog, needle-sharp teeth, and a bloody, contorted grin. He 
is sometimes shown as half-black and half-white, signi- 
fying faithlessness. Zotz lives deep within caves. He 
hides in remote areas at night and ambushes travelers, 
stealing their goods and wealth to stash in his caves. 

In the underworld he has his own area, called the 
House of Bats. Souls who are condemned must pass by 
him; he drinks their BLOOD. A Mayan legend tells of two 
brothers who were condemned. When they passed by 
Zotz, he bit off the head of one of them. The other brother 
replaced the head with a nearby tortoise, which restored 
the boy to life. 


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York: iUniverse, 2004. 


t INDEX 4 


Boldface page numbers indicate major treatment of a topic. Italic page numbers indicate illustrations. 


A 


Aalu 110 

Abaddon (Apollyon) 1 

Abbey of Thelema 45 

Abbott, Emma 116 

abditus 200 

Abel de Larue 1-2 
Abezethibou 2 

Abigor 2, 2. See also Eligor 
Abraham 222 

Abra-Melin 104 

Abraxas (Abrasax, Abraxis) 2-3, 3 
Acaph. See Loudun Possessions 
Achaos. See Loudun Possessions 
Acquatile 170 

Acts of Peter 234 

Adam 117, 146, 223, 224 
Adamitici 120 

Adonael 109 

Adonai 109 

Adramelech (Adramalek) 3, 3 
Aeneid (Virgil) 38 

Aeon of Horus 47 

Aerea 170 

aeria 206 


aerial spirits of Solomon 3. See also 
specific spirits 

Aeshma 3—4, 18, 20 

Afon Mynach bridge 66 

afterlife 252-253, 279. See also 
hell 

Agares 4, 4 

agathodaimon 51 

Agrath 4, 165-166 

Agrippa, Henry Cornelius 102, 
267. See also Occult Philosophy 
(Agrippa) 

Aguirre, Doña Micaela de 185 

Ahi. See Azhi Dahaka 

Ahriman 4-5, 62, 110, 247, 278 

Ahrimanic beings 5, 247 

Ahura Mazda 4, 62, 278 

Aim (Aini) 5 

Aiwass 39, 45, 46-47, 161 

Aix-en-Provence Possessions 5—60, 
22, 26, 194 

Akkadian lore 21, 260 

Alberti Parvi Lucii Liber de 
Mirabilibus Naturae Arcanis 104 

Albertus Magnus (saint) 104 


284 


alchemy 28, 95, 96, 230 

Alecto 41, 74 

algul 6 

Allison, Ralph 204 

Alloces (Allocen, Allocer) 7 

Almalantrah 48 

alp 7 

Alpha Bet Ben Sira 146 

alphabet of desire 244 

Alphonso Maria de Liguori (saint) 
195-196 

Alt, Father Ernst 172-174 

Amantini, Father Candido 9 

amarahspands 278 

Amduscias 7 

Amenadiel 7 

Amenti 110 

American Society for Psychical 
Research (ASPR) 115 

Amityville Haunting 7-9, 264 

Ammonite lore 178-179 

Amon 9,9 

Amorth, Father Gabriele 9-10, 78, 
121 

amulet 10-12, 49, 75, 147, 183 


Index 285 


Amy 12 
Anakim 183 
Andra (Indra) 13 
Andras 13 
Andrealphus 13 
Andromalius 13 
angel 13. See also fallen angels; 
thwarting angels; specific angels 
demons and xiv 
in exorcism 78 
in Jewish magic 160 
in Jubilees 57 
in Kabbalah 136 
serpents and 229 
in Testament of Solomon 242 
Angels of Mastemoth 13 
anger 231-232 
Anglican exorcism rite 53 
Angra Mainyu. See Ahriman 
animal blood 32-33 
animals 7, 64, 85, 86, 87-88, 201 
Anne of Denmark 123-124 
Anson, Jay 8 
Antaura 13 
Anthony 13-16, 14, 185 
Anthroposophy 246-247 
Antichrist 16-17, 27, 186-187, 
213-215, 236 
anti-Semitism, of Luther 156 
Anubis 110 
apertus 200 
Apocalypse. See Armageddon; 
Revelation 
Apocalypse archetype 212 
Apocrypha, demons in 57 
Apollyon 1, 1 
apostate angels 86 
apple 17-18, 199 
Applewhite, Marshall 212 
Apuleius 144 
Aquino, Michael A. 227 
Arabic/Arabian lore 67, 73, 95, 196, 
260 
Arael 109 
Aramaic lore 212 
Arbatel of Magic 102-103 
archetypes 
Apocalypse as 212 
serpent as 230-231 
Arian heresy 14 
Armadiel 18 


Armageddon 13, 211. See also 
Apocalypse 
Armenterious, Petrone 249 
Arthurian legend 18, 69-70 
Artosael 109 
asag (asakku) 18 
Asbel 265 
Aseliel 18 
Ashmedai (Ashmodai). See 
Asmodeus 
Ashtaroth. See Astaroth 
Ashton, Jane 232 
Ashtoreth 19, 241. See also 
Astaroth 
Asian lore 114, 140-142, 255 
Asmodeus (Ashmedai, Ashmodai, 
Asmoday, Asmodius, Hasmoday, 
Sydonay) 18, 18 
Aeshma and 4 
in Aix-en-Provence Possessions 
5 
exorcism of 10 
in Kabbalah 138 
in Loudun Possessions 125, 
149,151 
as lust demon 231 
Assiah 138 
Assyrian lore 94, 100, 144, 184, 
197, 227 
Astaroth (Ashtaroth) 5, 19-20. See 
also Ashtoreth 
Astarte 19 
Asteraoth 109, 258 
Astovidotu 20 
Asyriel 20 
atavisms 244 
Athanasius 14, 15, 16 
Atlantic Paranormal Research 
Society 135 
Atziluth 138 
Aueiran, Isaac de 20 
Augustine 17, 58, 119, 144-145 
Aupetit, Pierre 20 
Australian aborigines 162 
Autak (Udai, Uda) 20 
automatic writing 115-116 
avarice 231 
Ayatal-kursi 78-79 
Az (Azi) 20 
Azazel (Azael) 20-21, 21 
Azdaha. See Azhi Dahaka 


Azhi Dahaka (Azhi Dahaki, Azi, 
Azdaha, Ahi, Zohak) 21, 21, 70 

Azi. See Az; Azhi Dahaka 

Aztec lore 122, 175, 229, 255, 258, 
273 


B 


Baal (Bael, Baell) 22, 130, 179 
Baalberith (Balberith) 5, 22. See 
also Berith 
Baal Shem, Joel 250 
Baal-zebul. See Beelzebub 
Babington plot 60-61 
Babylonian demon trap 118 
Babylonian lore 
Azhi Dahaka in 21 
incantation bowls in 118 
Jewish lore and 56 
Lamastu in 144 
lilitu in 147 
lion-demon in 147-148 
Pazuzu in 197 
rabisuin 208 
Rimmon in 212 
scorpion-people in 227 
udugg in 260 
bacucei 22 
Balaam 127-128, 251 
Balam (Balan) 22-23, 23 
Balberith. See Baalberith; Berith 
Balinese lore 145 
Ballard, John 61 
Balthioul 109, 258 
banim shovavim 138 
Baphomet 23, 23, 226 
baptism 23-24, 129 
Barakiel. See Baraqijal; Barbiel 
Baraqijal 24 
Barbas. See Marbas 
Barbatos 24 
Barbiel (Barakiel, Barbuel, Baruel) 
24 
Bardon, Franz 162 
bar egara 24 
Barmiel 24 
Barre, Father Pierre 125, 149-150, 
152 
Barsfael 109 
Baruch 100 
Baruchas 24 
Baruchiel 109, 258 


286 The Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology 


Baruel. See Barbiel 
Basil (saint), and pacts 192 
Bastide, Father 251 
Bathin (Mathim) 24 
Bavent, Madeleine 67, 152-153 
Beal. See Berith 
Bealphares 24 
beatings, in exorcism 77, 78, 79 
Bee, Jesse 52 
Beelzebub (Baal-zebul, Beelzeboul, 
Belzebub) 24-26, 25, 127 
in Aix-en-Provence Possessions 
5-6 
Aupetit and 20 
in Brossier Possession 33-34 
in Darling Possession 52 
in Earling Possession 72 
in Faust legend 90 
as gluttony demon 231 
Jesus and 130 
in Loudun Possessions 100 
in Miracle of Laon Possession 
175-177, 176 
in Soissons Possessions 240 
Begone Satan! (Vogl) 71-72 
Behemoth 26, 26, 128 
Beherit 26 
Belbel 109 
Beleth (Bileth, Bilet, Byleth) 27 
Belfry. See Berith 
Belial (Beliar) 27, 28, 169, 205, 
246, 266, 266 
bells, as amulets 10 
Belphegor 27, 27-28, 232 
Beltane 10 
Belzebub. See Beelzebub 
Benedict medal 12 
Berepper 258 
Berith (Balberith, Baalberith, Beal, 
Belfry, Bofi, Bolfri, Elberith) 22, 
28 
Beriyah. See Briah 
Bernael 28 
Bernard 183 
Betty Book, The 190 
Bible. See Christianity; Judaism 
Bidiel 28 
Bifrons 28 
bilateral pacts 195 
Bileth (Bilet). See Beleth 
Binah 138-139 
Binns (Byns), Ann 168 


Binsfeld, Peter 28-29, 231 

birth, vulnerability during 59 

Bishop, Father Raymond J. 248 

black 63-64 

black book 29. See also grimoires 

black dogs 1-2, 29, 38 

Black Eagle 244 

black magic 31-32, 102, 104, 160- 
161, 162 

Black Mass 26, 29-32, 66-67, 95, 
218, 224, 225 

Black Pullet, The 104-105 

Black Screech Owl. See Black Pullet, 
The 

Black Shuck 29 

Black Spirit 163-164 

Blai, Adam Christian 32 

Blanchard, Elizabeth 150 

blasphemous mass 32 

Blatty, William Peter. See Exorcist, 
The 

blood 32-33, 148, 195. See also 
vampire demons 

blooding 33 

Blumhardt, Pfarrar 180-181 

Bofi. See Berith 

bogey 33 

Bogomilism 224 

Boguet, Henri 17, 164-165 

Boissonet, Laurent 239-240 

Bolfri. See Berith 

Bolo 240 

Bond, Elijah 189 

Bonnoir 239-240 

Book of Arda Viraf, The 111 

Book of Black Magic and of Pacts, 
The 105 

Book of Sacred Magic of Abra-Melin 
the Mage, The 104 

Book of Splendors, The (Levi) 137 

Book of the Dead 160 

Book of the Law, The (Crowley) 45, 
46-47, 161 

Booth, Elizabeth 219-221 

Bora, Katharina von 156 

Borderland: A Casebook of True 
Supernatural Stories (Mottlingen) 
180 

Botis (Otis) 33 

Boullan, Abbé 225 

Boulle, Abbé Thomas 30, 152-153 

Bowdern, Father William 248, 249 


Brahma 209 

Brazil 202 

Breton, Louis 43 

Brey, Father Karl (Charles) 34-35 

Briah (Beriyah) 138 

Brooks, Jane 17 

Brossier, Marthe 33-34 

Brou, Madeleine de 98, 149, 150 

brownies 85 

Bruner (Burner), Theobald and 
Joseph 34-35 

Buer 35, 35 

Bull, Titus 205 

Bundahishn 278 

Buriel 35 

Burmese lore 254-255 

Burroughs, George 221 

Burton, Bernard 8 

Busyata 35 

Byleth. See Beleth 

Byrom, Margaret 232 


C 


Caacrinolaas (Caasimola). See 
Glasya Labolas 

Cabala. See Kabbalah 

Cabariel 36 

caboclos 202 

Cabot, Laurie 272 

Cagliostro, Count 69, 236-237 

Caim (Caym, Camio) 36 

Cain 173 

Calder, Andrew 36 

Camio. See Caim 

Camuel 36 

Canaanite deities 22, 24, 179 

Canart, Jean 240 

candomblé 202 

Capeau, Louise 5—6 

Carabia. See Decarabia 

Carnesiel 36-37 

Cases of Conscience (Mather) 58 

Caspiel 37 

Cassian, John 37-38, 197-198, 231 

Caym. See Caim 

Cele, Clara Germana 12 

Celtic lore 84, 268-269 

Cerberus (fallen angel). See 
Naberius 

Cerberus (Kerberos) 38, 39, 41, 
110 


Index 287 


ceremonial magic 49, 160, 161, 162 
Cesmak (Cheshmak, Cheshmak the 
Karap) 39 
changelings 85-86, 157 
Changing Light at Sandover, The 
(Merrill) 190 
channeling 203 
chant, as amulet 12 
chaos magic 245 
charismatic Christianity 53-54. See 
also Pentecostal Christianity 
charity 231 
Charlemagne (emperor of the West) 
103 
Charles VII (king of France) 95 
charm 11, 32-33, 39, 103, 118, 228 
Charon 110 
chastity 231 
Chavet, Louis 152 
Chax. See Shax 
Chesed 139 
Cheshmak. See Cesmak 
Chevalier, Adéle 225 
Chevoin, Anne 33 
children. See also Black Mass 
abducted by fairies 85-86 
as alguls’ prey 6 
bogey and 33 
demonic baptism of 24 
of djinn 68 
from incubi 120 
magical 45 
from succubi 249, 250 
Chinese lore 114 
Chockhmah 138-139 
Choronzon (Coronzon) 33, 39-41, 
40, 47-48 
Christianity and Christian lore. See 
also Jesus; Protestantism; Roman 
Catholic Church 
Abaddon in 1 
Abraxas in 2 
amulets of 11-12 
angels in 13 
in Anthroposophy 247 
Antichrist in 16-17 
Asmodeus in 19 
baptism in 23 
Belphegor in 27 
blood in 33 
curses in 48, 49 
daimones in 51 


deliverance in 53-54 
demonic temptation in 15-16 
demons in 55,57, 57-58 
Devil in 63 
evilin xiii 
exorcism in 75 
fairy lore and 84, 85 
in Grimoire of Honorius 102 
hell in 110, 112-113 
incubus in 119-121 
Kabbalah in 137 
Lucifer in 154 
Revelation in 210-212 
salt in 11 
Satan in 222-223 
serpent in 229 
sex with demons and 60 
Simon Magus and 233-234 
Solomon in 241 
in Theosophia Pneumatica 103 
in Witchcraft 270 
chthonia 206 
chthonic deities 41-42. See also 
Hades; Hecataea 
Churchill, Sarah 219-221 
Church of Satan 226-227 
Church of the New Jerusalem 252 
Cimeries 42 
City of God, The (Augustine) 144- 
145 
Clanda 244-245 
Clark, Elizabeth 88 
Classical Kabbalah 136, 137 
clausus 200 
Clavicle of Solomon. See Key of 
Solomon 
Cleaveland, Mrs. Willis M. 256 
Colas, Antide 42 
Cole, Ann 42-43 
Collin de Plancy, Jacques 43, 43 
Columba (saint) 86 
commedia dell’arte 108 
Committee for the Scientific 
Investigation of Claims of the 
Paranormal (CSICOP) 238-239 
Compendium Maleficarum (Guazzo) 
66, 105, 105-106, 120, 250 
composite magic 162 
Conferences on the Egyptian Monks 
(Cassian) 37, 197-198 
conjuring 3, 28, 44, 228 
conjuring mirror 178 


Constantine (film) 43-44 
Constantine I (emperor of Rome) 
12 
Constitution of Honorius. See 
Grimoire of Honorius 
Contact with the Other World 
(Hyslop) 204 
Corey, Giles 221 
Coronzon. See Choronzon 
Corwin, George 221 
Corwin, Jonathan 220 
Cramoisy 240 
criancas 202 
criminals, blood of 33 
Crocell. See Procel 
Cromwell, Lady 257, 258 
crooked paths 11 
cross, as amulet 11-12 
crossroads 22, 28, 42, 44, 96 
Crowley, Aleister 44-48, 45 
animal sacrifice by 33 
on black magic 31-32 
on Black Mass 31-32 
entity contacts 39-41, 46-48, 
48 
life of 44-46 
in occult revival 161 
on Ouija™ 190 
satanism and 225 
on six-six-six 236 
Witchcraft and 270 
crucifix, as amulet 11-12 
Curran, Pearl 190 
curse 9, 48-50, 79, 121, 160 
“Curse of the Chains” 49 
cursed objects 49 
Cyprian (Cyprianus of Antioch) 29, 
223 


D 


Daath 139 

Daemonologie James VI and I) 123, 
124, 268 

daeva (daiva, deva, dev) 4,51, 
277-278 

Dagon 152 

daimon 51-52, 55, 87 

Dalkiel 52 

Dantanian 52 

Darbyites 44 

Darling, Thomas 52 


288 The Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology 


Darling Possession 52-53 
Darrel (Darrell), Reverend John 52, 
53, 232 
Dashwood, Francis 113-114, 225 
D’Attichy, Father 250-251 
Dead Sea Scrolls 27 
death 59, 177, 252. See also hell 
De Camp, Etta 115-116 
decans 242-243 
Decarabia (Carabia) 53 
Deception 108 
De deo Socratis (Apuleius) 144 
Dee, John 39, 55, 87, 232 
DeFeo murders 7 
deities, evilin xiii 
De lamiis liber (Weyer) 267 
deliverance 23, 49, 53-54, 164 
Delort, Catherine 193, 216 
Demeter 41, 42 
demon(s) 55-60 
activities of 59-60 
amulets against 11-12 
Anthony and 14-16 
in Apochrypha 57 
Cassian on 37-38 
characteristics of 58-59, 59, 
170 
in Christianity 57, 57-58 
classification of 29, 54, 206— 
207 
control over 55-56, 60 
creation of 15 
cursing 49 
definition of 55 
v. devils 64 
as evil xiii—xiv 
exorcism of 75-77 
hierarchy of 54, 170 
historical overview of 55-56 
ignorance of xiv 
in Judaism 56-57, 58 
in Kabbalah 138 
“legal rights” of 54 
Luther attacked by 157 
in magic xv, 58, 60 
marriage to 60 
names of 78 
obsession by 185 
operation of xiv 
pacts with, Menghi on 170- 
171 
pseudepigrapha 57 


seals of 228 
sex with 60 
sin incited by 37-38 
Solomon and 242-243, 246 
thwarting angels of 258 
Weyer's views on 268 
in Zoroastrianism 278—279 
demoniac 12, 23, 54, 54-55, 82, 
177. See also possession 
Demoniality (Sinistrari) 234 
demonic baptism 24 
demonization 54. See also 
possession 
Demon of Jedburgh 55 
Demonolatry (Remy) 66, 165, 179, 
209-210, 249 
Demonologist, The (Warren and 
Warren) 8 
demonology ix—x, xiv, 32, 55-60, 
138, 264-265 
Demoriel 60 
Denham Exorcisms 60-61 
Denkart, Cesmak in 39 
De praestigiis daemonum (Weyer) 
267 
Description of Greece (Pausanias) 74 
Deshayes, Catherine 30 
deva (dev). See daeva 
Devil 61-64. See also Lucifer; Satan 
Anthony tempted by 14-16 
appearance of 63, 63-64 
baptism by 24 
Behemoth and 26 
in Black Mass 29 
as buffoon 64 
Cassian on 37-38 
v. demons 64 
Dozmary Pool and 69 
as evil xiii 
evolution of 62-63 
in Islam 63, 117 
lies of 97-98 
Lucifer as 154 
Luther on 156-157 
Menghi on 170 
money from 179 
nicknames for 64 
in sabbats 217-218 
as serpent 229 
St. Patrick and 62 
at Stanton Drew 246 
Weyer on 268 


devil. See demon(s); Devil 
devil fish 64 
Devil Rides Out, The (Wheatley) 31 
Devils, The (film) 152 
Devils Advocate, The (film) 64, 
64-65 
Devils Arrow (England) 65 
Devils arrows 64, 65 
Devils book 65 
Devils bridge 64, 65, 65-66 
Devils horse 66 
Devil’s mark 6, 66, 88, 149, 271 
Devil's Missal 66-67 
Devils of Loudun, The (Huxley) 148 
Diana 269 
Dictionnaire Infernal (Collin de 
Plancy) 43 
Didatia of Miremont 119 
diligence 232 
Discours des Sorciers (Boguet) 165 
Discoverie of Witchcraft, The (Scot) 
124, 228 
Distress 109 
divination 60, 160, 189, 276 
djinn (genii, ginn, jann, jinn, 
shayatin, shaytan) 67—69 
algul 6 
as black dogs 29 
displaced by humans xiii 
exorcism of 78-79 
as familiars 87 
Iblis as 117 
iron and 122 
possession by 201 
shaytan 233 
Solomon’s power over 241, 
246 
in Wishmaster 269 
Doctor Faustus. See Faust 
Doe, Robbie 248-249 
Dogmatic Kabbalah 136 
dogs, black 1-2, 28, 38 
Domptius, Francois 5 
Donovan, Patty 190, 264 
Doris Fischer Obsession 69 
Dorochiel 69 
Douglas, Archibald 55 
Douma. See Dumah 
Dozmary Pool 69-70, 258 
Dragon within the Triangle of 
Darkness 271 
dreams 131-132, 230 


Index 289 


Dregvant 70 

Druj 20, 70 

druj 21,70 

Druj Nasu 70 

Duke, Carolyn 205 
Dumah (Douma) 70 
Dumuzi 93-94 
Duysters, George 116 
dybbuk 70 


E 


Earling Possession 26, 71-72 
Early Hasidim 137 
Ecklund, Anna 26, 71-72 
Ecklund, Jacob 72 
Edict of Nantes 34 
Edinger, Edward E 212 
egg, symbolism of 48 
Egyptian lore 
Abraxas in 2 
amulets in 49 
curses in 48 
Dumah in 70 
evil eye in 74 
in evolution of Devil 62 
in grimoires 100 
hellin 110 
Jewish lore and 56 
magic of 160 
serpent in 229 
Elberith. See Berith 
Eleven Satanic Rules 226 
Elfland 85 
Eliezar 75 
Eligor (Abigor) 72 
Elizabeth I (queen of England) 
60-61 
Elysian Fields 110 
Emmekyn 169 
Emoniel 72 
Empedocles 120 
empousai 72-73, 144 
enalia 206 
Enchiridion of Pope Leo, The 103 
Enepsigos 73 
Enoch, Books of 
Azazelin 20-21 
demons in 57 
fallen angels in 86 
Kokabiel in 141 
Lucifer in 154 


Nephilim in 183-184 
Satanail in 224 
seraphim and 229 
Uzzain 260 
Watchers in 265-266 
Enochian Keys 39-40, 226 
Enochic Book of Giants 184 
enthusiasm 201 
envy 75, 231 
ephialtes 119 
Ephippas 73-74 
epilepsy 204 
Ereshkigal 93-94 
Erinyes (Furies) 41, 74, 74 
Error 109 
Escoubleau, Anne d’ 150 
esotericism 87, 159, 247 
Eucharist 161, 175, 177, 240 
Eurynomus 74 
Evans-Wentz, W. Y. 85 
Eve 117-118, 146-147, 224 
evil xiii, xiv, 4-5, 278, 279 
evil eye 74-75, 83 
exorcism 60, 75-80, 200. See also 
Denham Exorcisms; St. Louis 
Exorcism 
in Aix-en-Provence Possessions 
5-6 
in Anglican Church 53 
baptism and 23 
Benedict medal in 12 
of Brossier 33-34 
of Bruners 34-35 
Catholic Church on 10 
characteristics of 77-78 
cross in 12 
of demons 75-77 
diagnosis with 77 
of djinn 68, 78-79 
of dybbukim 70 
in Egyptian magic 160 
Eucharist in 175 
of fairies 86 
with fumes 10, 18 
Gospel of John in 97-98 
in Grimoire of Honorius 102 
for infestations 121 
James VI and I on 124 
in Kabbalah 70 
of kitsune 141 
in Loudun Possessions 125— 
126, 149-152 


in Louviers Possessions 152 
in magic 79-80 
in Maillat Possession 164 
in Marie des Vallees Possession 
167-168 
Menghi on 171 
of Michel (Anneliese) 171, 
173-174 
of milk 86 
in Miracle of Laon 175-177 
of multiple personalities 204 
in Nancy Possession 182-183 
of Nantes incubus 183 
Origen on 58 
Pearce-Higgins on 197 
Puritan 53 
ritual for. See Rituale Romanum 
setting of 77 
in Smurl haunting 238, 239 
in Spirit of Orléans hoax 245 
of spirits 79 
of zar 277 
Exorcism of Emily Rose, The (film) 
175 
exorcist 80-81 
amateur 201 
Amorth as 9-10 
Anthony as 16 
Blai as 32 
Calder as 36 
in Catholic Church 10 
choices made by 213 
curses and 49 
dangers to 201 
Darrel as 53 
disciples of Jesus as 130-131 
Fortea 91 
in International Association of 
Exorcists 121 
Jesus as 25,57, 129-131, 131, 
199 
Lactance as 143 
Luther as 157 
Martin as 168 
McKenna as 170 
Menghi as 170 
Pearce-Higgins as 197 
qualities of 171 
Wickland as 268 
Exorcist, The (novel and film) 54, 
81-83, 82, 197, 200, 248-249 
explicit pacts 193 


290 The Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology 


exus 202 
Eye Killers 83 
Eysartz, Anguel 218 


F 


Facquier, Nicolas 240 
fairies 17-18, 84-86, 87 
Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries, The 
(Evans-Wentz) 85 
faith, possession as test of 9 
fallen angels 57-58, 86, 87, 101, 
247. See also specific angels 
falling stars 87 
familiar 5, 29, 87-89, 88, 118, 244, 
271 
family, curses on 49 
fascination 75 
Fate 109 
faun 119 
Faust 89, 89-91, 168-169, 171, 
192, 193 
Faust (Goethe) 89, 90-91 
Ferrari de Miramar, Maria 45 
Fian, John 124 
Fields of Asphodel 110 
Filatreau, Francoise 150 
Fischer, Doris 69 
Flauros (Hauras, Haurus, Havres) 
91 
Fleischmann 173 
flood, and Nephilim 57, 183-184, 
243, 265 
Flournoy, Theodore 237 
Focalor (Forcalor, Furcalor) 91, 
102 
folklore 
alps in 7 
apples in 17 
black books in 29 
black dogs in 29 
blood in 32-33 
evil in xiii 
falling stars in 87 
Harlequin in 108 
lightning in 146 
mirrors in 177 
money in 179 
pacts in 192 
saltin 11 
water in 11 
yawning in 274 


folk magic 146, 161, 162, 180 

food, fairy 85 

Foraii. See Morax 

Foras (Forcas, Furcas, Fourcas) 91 

Forcalor. See Focalor 

Ford, Michael W. 271 

Forfax. See Morax 

Forneus 91 

Fortea, Father José Antonio 91 

Fourcas. See Foras 

Fourneau, Dr. 149 

Fourth Book 102, 155 

fox fairy. See huli jing; kitsune 

Francis, Elizabeth 88 

Frank, Ann 55 

Fratricelli 218 

fravashi 278 

Frederick III (Saxon elector) 156 

Freemasonry 154, 270 

free will 58, 67, 157 

French folklore 157 

Freud, Sigmund 108 

Friedkin, William. See Exorcist, The 

Fritschle, Brittia L. See Fischer, 
Doris 

Frueh, Rosemary 238 

Fuld, Isaac and William 189-190 

fumes 10, 77 

Furcalor. See Focalor 

Fureas (Furcas) 91-92. See also 
Foras 

Furfur 92 

Furies. See Erinyes 

futurists 211 


G 


Gaap (Goap, Tap) 93, 93 

Gabriel 109, 184, 265, 266 
Gadarene demoniac 130 
Gaderel 265 

Gadreel (Gadriel) 93 

galli 93-94, 94 

Gamaliel 94 

Gamigin (Gamygyn) 94 
Garadiel 94 

Gardner, Gerald B. 244-245, 270 
Gathas, daevas in 51 

Gaufridi, Father Louis 5—6, 24, 194 
Gaule, Margaret 256 

Gaumer, Mother Catherine de 5 
Geburah 56, 139 


Gediel 94 

Gehenna (Gehinnom) 112 

gematria 136 

Gemory (Gomory) 94 

gemstones, as amulets 49, 183 

“General Curse, The” 49 

genie 94-95 

genii. See djinn 

Georgel, Anne Marie de 216 

Georgia Paranormal Research Team 
36 

Gerasene demoniac 130 

German Kabbalah 137 

German lore 7, 268-269 

Germanus 37 

Ghost Hunters (television) 135 

ghosts 210. See also hauntings 

Ghosts R NEAR (television) 135 

ghoul 95 

Giffard, George 58 

Gifford, R. Swain 115, 256-257 

Gilles de Rais (Gilles de Retz) 30, 95 

Gilmore, Peter 227 

ginn. See djinn 

Glanvil, Joseph 64 

Glasya Labolas (Caacrinolaas, 
Caassimola, Glasyalabolas) 95 

Glover, Goodwife 96-97 

gluttony 231 

Gnosticism 2, 94, 229—230 

Gnostic Mass 31 

Goap. See Gaap 

goat, in Baphomet’s form 23 

goblin 95-96, 108 

God, in Kabbalah 137-138 

Goddess, blood of 33 

Godelmannus, Georgius 64 

Goethe, Johann 89, 90-91, 247 

goetia. See black magic 

Golden Dawn. See Hermetic Order 
of the Golden Dawn 

Gold-Finding Hen 96, 96 

golem 137 

Gomory. See Gemory 

Good, Sarah 220 

Gooderidge, Alice 52 

Good Housekeeping (magazine) 8 

Goodman, Felicitas M. 175 

Goodman’s Ground (Guidman’s 
Grunde) 96 

Goodwin Possessions 96—97 

Gospel of John 97-98 


Index 291 


Gowdie, Isobel 24 
Gramolazzo, Giancarlo 121 
Grand Grimoire 19, 102, 154-156, 
195 
Grandier, Urbain 98-100, 99, 125- 
127, 143, 149-152, 250 
Grant, Kenneth 244 
Gray, William S. 80 
Greater Key of Solomon. See Key of 
Solomon 
Greek lore 
amulets in 49 
Antaurain 13 
bacucei in 22 
Cerberus in 38 
chthonic deities of 41 
curses in 48 
daimones in 51 
empousai in 72-73 
Erinyes in 74 
Eurynomus in 74 
in evolution of Devil 62 
familiars in 87 
in grimoires 100 
Hades in 107 
Hecataeain 110 
hellin 110 
lamiae in 144 
magic of 160 
Moloch in 179 
Mot in 179 
Nemesis in 183 
planoi in 197 
serpent in 229 
Greensmith, Rebecca 42 
Gregorian chant 12 
Gresil 5 
griffin-demon 100 
Grimoire of Honorius 102 
grimoires 100-105, 101. See also 
black book; specific grimoires 
on Asmodeus 19 
on Beelzebub 26 
daimon evocation in 51 
instructions in 60 
Kabbalah in 137 
pacts in 195 
of Solomon 241, 243 
on talismans 254 
Grimoire Verum 19, 102 
Grombach 163-164 
Gross-Petter, Petter 219 


grotto 105, 226 

Guaita, Stanislas de 225 

Guazzo, Francesco-Maria 66, 105- 
106, 193-194, 250 

Guiborg, Abbé 30, 224 

Guiley, Rosemary Ellen ix 

Gusion (Gusayn) 106 


H 


Hades 41-42, 107, 110 
Hagenti (Haagenti) 107 
Haizmann, Christopher Joseph 
107-108 
Halahel 108 
Hale-Bopp comet 212 
Halloran, Walter 248, 249 
Halpas (Halphas) 108 
Ham 38 
Hammett, Nina 45 
Harborym 59 
Harlequin 108 
Harris, Bertha 268 
Harry Potter series (Rowling) 9 
Harsnett, Samuel 60 
Hartley, Edmund 232 
Hasidim, Kabbalah in 137 
Hasmoday. See Asmodeus 
Hathorne, John 220 
hauntings 59, 135, 213, 264, 275- 
276. See also Amityville Haunting; 
Smurl Haunting 
Hauras (Haurus). See Flauros 
Havres. See Flauros 
Haxan (film) 217 
Haziel, and Bernael 28 
Head of the Dragons 108 
healing 129, 198-199, 202, 204, 
230 
Hearst Corporation 8 
Heaven and Hell (Swedenborg) 252 
heavenly bodies 108-110 
Heaven's Gate cult 212 
Hebrew lore. See Judaism 
Hecataea (Hecate) 42, 72-73, 110 
Hel 110 
Helena (empress of Rome) 12 
Helen of Troy, in Faust legend 90 
hell 110-113, 111, 112, 113 
in Christianity 63, 110, 111, 
112-113 
description of 132-135 


in Egyptian lore 110 
in Greek lore 110 
in Islam 113 
in Judaism 112 
Swedenborg on 252-253 
torments of 132-135 
visits to 113, 131, 132-135 
in Zoroastrianism 110-112, 
279 
Hellblazer (comics) 43 
Hellboy (film) 113 
Hell-Fire Club 31, 113-114, 225 
Hellhounds 38. See also black dogs 
Hemah 114 
Hembach, Johann von 218 
Henri IV (king of France) 34 
Henry, S. 115 
Heptameron 103 
Hercules 38 
Hermes 42 
Hermetic Order of the Golden 
Dawn 44-45, 79-80, 137, 161, 
270 
Hermetic principle 160 
Hieronyma, incubus of 234-235 
higher magic 162 
Hinduism 201, 277-278 
Hirsig, Leah 45 
historical school 210 
History of Magic, The (Levi) 162 
History of Witchcraft and 
Demonology, The (Summers) 30, 
121 
Hitler, in Michel (Anneliese) 
possession 173 
Hminza Tase 255 
hobgoblin 95, 157 
Hod 140 
Hodgson, Richard 69, 115 
Hoffman, Paul 8 
Holy Ghost, possession by 201 
holy water, as amulet 12 
Homer 41 
horerczy. See alp 
Horus, and Aiwass 46 
host. See Eucharist 
Hostage to the Devil (Martin) 168 
Hubbard, Elizabeth 219-221 
Huguenots 150, 175, 177, 239 
huli jing (fox fairy) 114, 141, 201 
human blood 33 
humans, married to djinn 68 


292 The Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology 


human sacrifice 255. See also Black 
Mass 

humility 231 

Hungarian lore 145 

Hutriel 115 

Huysmans, Joris K. 31, 225 

hydraia 206 

Hydriel 115 

hypochthonia 206 

Hyslop, James Hervey 69, 115-116, 
204, 255-257 


I 


Iaoth 109 
Iblis 67, 79, 117-118, 233 
Icosiel 118 
Ieropa 109 
illness. See also healing 
demons blamed for 54-55, 59 
in Egyptian magic 160 
in Greek and Roman magic 
160 
Luther on 157 
v. possession 129, 198-199, 204 
possession as 204-205 
imp 118 
implicit pacts 193 
impotence, from ligature 146 
Inanna 93-94 
incantation bowl 118-119 
incantations 160, 195 
incubus 60, 119-121, 120 
of Hieronyma 234-235 
liderc as 145 
in Loudun Possessions 125 
Nantes incubus 183 
Scot on 228 
as sexual familiar 88 
in Smurl haunting 238 
traits of 235-236 
Indian lore 208-209 
Indra. See Andra 
indulgences 156 
infestation 54, 81,121, 200, 276 
infimo choro, ’ 170 
Innocent VII (pope) 166 
Innocent VIII (pope) 270 
Inquisition 270 
Aix-en-Provence Possessions 
and 5-6 
demons and _ 58, 59 


Devil’s marks in 66 
incubus and 119-121 
magic and 161 


Malleus Maleficarum in 166-167 


pacts in 193 
possession in 199 
sabbats and 216 
satanism and 224 
Weyer on 267 
intermediate magic 162 
International Association of 
Exorcists 10, 32, 121 
Interview with an Exorcist (Fortea) 
91 
Invidia 183 
Ipos 121 
Irenaeus 17,57 
Iroe-Grego 104 
iron 19, 49, 85,119, 122 
Isacaaron 122, 127-128, 150, 251 
Isagoge. See Arbatel of Magic 
Isaiah, Book of 153-154, 192 
Isis, blood of 33 
Islam and Islamic lore 
angels in 13 
Azazelin 21 
Devil in 63,117 
djinn lore of 67-68, 78-79, 
201 
exorcism in 78-79 
genies in 94 
hellin 113 
Iblis in 117 
original sin and 63 
Satan in 223 
shaytan in 233 
sneezing in 239 
Solomon in 241 
zarin 277 
Itzpapalotl 122 


J 


Jahi 70 

Jahnnam 113 

James, William 116 

James VI and I (king of Scotland 
and England) 123-124, 228, 268 

jann. See djinn 

Jeanne des Anges 99-100, 124- 
129, 148-152 

Beelzebub’s possession of 127 


Isacaaron’s possession of 122 
Lactance and 143 
Surin and 250-251 
Jerome 58, 192 
Jesus 129-131, 223 
in Anthroposophy 247 
baptism of 129 
in Christian magic 161 
curses by 49 
Devil and 63 
disciples of 130-131 
Enepsigos’s prophecy on 73 
exorcism by 25, 57, 75-76, 
129-131, 131 
healings by 129, 198-199, 204 
in hell 25 
hell visited by 113 
in Nestorian heresy 37 
in Processus Sathane 206 
Satan and 222 
Second Coming of 210-212 
temptation of 129, 192 
jinn. See djinn 
Joan of Arc 95 
Job, Book of 145 
John, Gospel of. See Gospel of John 
John Bosco 113, 131-135 
John Chrysostom 37 
John Paul II (pope) 76 
Johnson, Carl Leonard 135 
Johnson, Keith Edward 135 
Johnson, Sandra Ann Hutchings 
135 
John William of Julich-Cleves 106 
Jonah 145 
Jones, C. S. 47 
Jones, George Cecil 44-45 
Jones, Richard 17 
Josephus 75, 101 
Jubilees 57, 169-170 
Judaism and Jewish lore. See also 
anti-Semitism; Kabbalah 
Abaddon in 1 
Agrath in 4 
amulets of 11 
angels in 13 
Asmodeus in 18 
Astaroth in 19 
Azazelin 20-21 
Baalin 130 
Beelzebub in 25 
Behemoth in 26 


Index 293 


Belphegor in 27 
blood in 33 
demons in 56-57, 58 
Dumah in 70 
dybbukim in 70 
in evolution of Devil 62-63 
exorcism in 75 
grimoires and 100 
hellin 112 
Hemah in 114 
incantation bowls in 118-119 
incubus in 119 
kelippah in 140 
kesilim in 140 
lamiae in 144 
Leviathan in 145 
Lilith in 146-147 
magic in 160-161 
Makhlath in 165-166 
mazzigin in 170 
Moloch in 178-179 
Motin 179 
Nephilim in 183-184 
Pithom in 197 
possession in 70 
Samael in 221 
Sariel in 222 
Satan in 62-63, 222 
serpent in 229 
shedim in 233 
Judas Iscariot 72, 173 
Jung, Carl G. 3, 230 
Justin Martyr, on Satan 223 


K 


Kabaiel. See Kakabel 
Kabbalah (Cabala, Kabala, Qabalah) 
136-140 
angels in 13 
Belphegor in 27 
in The Book of Sacred Magic of 
Abra-Melin the Mage 104 

branches of 136 
central concepts of 137-138 
demonology in 138 
demons in 56 
dybbukim in 70 
exorcism ritual from 80 
Grimoire of Honorius and 102 
Hemah in 114 
history of 136-137 


incubi in 119 
magic in 140, 160-161 
Moloch in 179 
Naamah in 182 
in occult revival 161 
Samael in 222 
six-six-six in 236 
in talismans 254 
Tree of Life in 138-140 
Usiel in 260 
Kabiel. See Kokabiel 
Kairoxanondalon 109 
Kakabel (Kabaiel, Kochab, Kochbiel, 
Kokbiel) 140 
Kakabiel. See Kokabiel 
kakodaimon 51 
Kalazael 109 
Kaplan, Mordecai M. 137 
Karael 109 
Kardec, Allan 203-204 
Kasadya 265 
Katanikotael 109 
Katrax 109 
kelippah 140, 147 
Kelly, Edward 39 
Kelly, Rose 45 
Kelvers, Otilla 218 
Kennard, Charles 189 
Kennard Novelty Company 189 
Kerberos. See Cerberus 
Kerner, Justinus 163-164 
kesilim 140 
Kether 138-139 
Key of Solomon 49, 101, 160, 195, 
243 
Key of This Blood (Martin) 168 
Kirk, Robert 85 
kitsune 140-142, 201 
Klingenberg Possession. See Michel, 
Anneliese 
Knights Templar 30 
Kokabiel (Kabiel, Kakabiel, Kochab, 
Kochbiel, Kokbiel) 142. See also 
Kakabel 
Koresh, David 212 
Kourtael 109 
Kramer, Heinrich 166 
Kunda 142 
kundalini 115, 229, 230 
Kunopegos (Kunopaston) 142 
Kurtz, Paul 238-239 
Kuvera 208 


L 


Labartu 143 
Là-bas (Huysmans) 31, 153, 225 
Lactance, Father Gabriel 99—100, 
126, 143-144, 150, 152 
Lahmu 144 
Lam 48, 48 
Lamachiel (Lamechiel) 108, 258 
Lamastu 144, 197 
La Mesnardiere, Pillet de 150 
Lamia 144 
lamiae 144 
La Motte-Barace, Agnes de 150 
Lancre, Pierre de 66, 87-88 
Land of Fairy 85 
Lang-Bernhard, Nicolette 219 
La Palud, Madeleine de Demandolx 
de 5-6, 22, 194 
lares 144 
La Rochefoucauld, Alexandre de 34 
La Rochepozay, Henry-Louis 
Chasteignier de 98 
larvae 144-145 
Laubardemont, Jean de Martin 126, 
150 
LaVey, Anton Szandor 195, 225-227 
La Voisin 30, 224 
Law of Thelema 47, 114, 161 
Le Broussard, Pierre 218 
Le Clerc, Gentien 30 
Left Hand Path 271 
legend, pacts in 192-193 
Legion 130, 199 
legion 145 
Leicester possession 124 
leliouria 206 
Leliureon 170 
Lemegeton 101, 243 
on Asmodeus 19 
on Astaroth 19 
on Belial 27 
on conjuration of aerial spirits 
3 
Pamersiel in 196 
on seals 228 
spirits of Solomon in 246 
Weyer and 267 
Lemuria (festival) 144 
lemurs 144 
Leo III (pope) 103 
Leopold 237 


294 The Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology 


Leo X (pope) 156 
Lerajie (Leraie, Lerayou, Oray) 145 
Lerayou. See Lerajie 
Leroel 109 
Lesser Key of Solomon. See Lemegeton 
Levi, Eliphas 23, 94, 105, 137, 161 
Leviathan 145 
in Aix-en-Provence Possessions 
5 
Behemoth and 26 
as envy demon 231 
Lilith and 147 
in Loudun Possessions 127, 
128, 251 
in Satanic symbolism 23 
Lewis, Mercy 219-221 
leyak 145 
lezim 140 
Liber Legus. See Book of the Law, The 
lidere 145-146 
Life of Adam and Eve, The 223 
Life of Apollonius of Tyana, The 
(Philostratus) 73 
Life of St. Hilary 185 
ligature 146 
lightning 146 
lilim 147 
Lilith 146-147 
Agrath and 4 
Asmodeus and 18 
demons spawned by 56 
incantation bowls against 119 
iron and 122 
Labartu and 143 
Makhlath and 166 
mazziqin and 170 
Samael and 221-222 
lilitu 147 
liminality 159-160 
Lincoln Imp 118 
lion-demon 147-148, 148 
Lion-Shaped demon 148 
Lisieux, Isidore 234 
Literal Kabbalah 136 
Little Albert 103 
Lix Tetrax 148 
loas 203 
loogaroo 148 
Loudun Possessions 127, 148-152. 
See also Jeanne des Anges 
Asmodeus in 125 
Astaroth in 19-20 


Beelzebub in 26, 127 
Behemoth in 128 
Beherit in 26 
Grandier in 98-100 
Isacaaron in 122, 127-128 
Lactance in 143 
Leviathan in 127, 128, 145 
Surin in 250-251 
Louis XIV (king of France) 30 
Louise of Jesus 150 
Louviers Possessions 19, 30, 152- 
153 
lower magic 162 
lucid dreaming. See dreams 
Lucifer 153, 153-154, 154. See also 
Devil; Satan 
in Anthroposophy 247 
Antichrist and 17 
cross used against 12 
as fallen angel 86 
in Michel (Anneliese) 
possession 173 
as pride demon 231 
prime minister of 154 
Satan as 223 
Swedenborg on 252-253 
Luciferian Witchcraft 271 
Luciferic beings 247 
Lucifogo 170 
Lucifuge Rofocale 102, 154-156, 
155, 195 
Lugale 18 
Luria Ashkenazi, Isaac 137 
Lurianic Kabbalah 137 
lust 231 
Luther, Martin 64, 156-157 
Luthy, Siegfried 172 
lutin 56, 157-158 
Lutz family 7-8, 264 


M 


Macariel 159 

Machates 73 

Madeleine. See La Palud, Madeleine 
de Demandolx de 

Magdalene 163-164 

magic 159-163 

Abaddon in 1 

ambiguity of 159 

angels in 13 


apples in 17 


Azaelin 21 
baptism in 23 
Beleth in 27 
black 31-32, 102, 104, 160- 
161, 162 
Black Mass in 30 
Cassian on 38 
ceremonial 49, 160, 161, 162 
chaos 245 
charms in 39 
Christian 161 
composite 162 
Crowley in 44-46 
curses in 48 
cursing demons in 49 
demons in xv, 38, 55—56, 58, 
60 
Egyptian 160 
exorcism in 79-80 
familiars in 87-88 
in Faust legend 89 
folk 146, 161, 162, 180 
functions of 159 
Greek 160 
influences in 160-162 
Jewish 160-161 
in Kabbalah 136, 137, 140 
modern 161-162 
natural 161, 162 
Origen on 58 
pacts in 195 
Roman 160 
sex magic 40, 45, 48, 270 
of Solomon 241 
of Spare 244-245 
sympathetic 32-33, 160, 162, 
180 
types of 162 
white 162 
“magical child” 45 
Magical Elements. See Heptameron 
Magic Circle 225-226 
Mahawai 184 
Maid of Orlach Possession 163-164 
Maillat, Loyse 164-165 
Maillat Possession 164-165 
Maillot, Thomas 165 
Mainey, Richard 61 
Makhlath (Mahalath) 4, 147, 
165-166 
Malaphar (Malephar). See Valefor 
Malgaras 166 


Index 295 


Malinowski, Bronislaw 159 

Malkuth 138-139, 140 

Malleus Maleficarum (Witch 
Hammer) 120, 166-167, 193, 
218, 249 

Malphas (Malpas) 167 

Mammon 167, 231 

mangragora 167 

Manichaeism, Az in 20 

Mannoury, Dr. 143, 152 

Mansemat. See Mastema 

Marbas (Barbas) 167 

Marchosias 167 

Mardero 109 

Marescot, Michel 34 

Margaret of Antioch 261-262 

Mariazell 107-108 

Marie des Vallees 167-168 

Marino 170 

Marlowe, Christopher 89, 89 

Marmaroth 109, 258 

Mars, Frederick 8 

“Marta” possession 91 

Martin, Malachi Brendan 78, 80- 

81, 168 

Marwood, William 61 

Mary (Virgin Mary) 192, 193, 195, 

206, 255 

Mary, Queen of Scots 60-61, 123 

Mary of Nemmegen 168-169, 193 

Maseriel 169 

maskim 169 

Massachusetts Bay Colony 219-221 

Masscheroen 169, 206 

Mass of St. Secaire 30, 31 

Mastema (Mastemah, Mansemat) 

57, 62, 169-170 

Mather, Cotton 96—97, 220, 221 

Mather, Increase 42, 58, 221 

Mathers, Samuel Liddell Macgregor 

44-45, 47, 137 

Mathim. See Bathin 

Mayan lore 279 

mazikeen. See shaytan 

mazzigin 170 

McCambridge, Mercedes 83 

McKenna, Bishop Robert 170, 238, 

239, 275 

mediumship 203 

Medmenham Abbey 114, 225 

Megaera (Megara) 41, 74 

Memorable Providences (Mather) 96 


Menadiel 170 

Menghi, Girolamo 170-171 

Menippus 73 

menstrual blood 33 

mental illness 157, 204-205 

Mephistopheles (Mephistophilis, 

Mephistophilus, Mephostopiles) 

88, 89-91, 171, 171 

Merkabah mystics 136-137, 160 

Merrill, James 190 

Mesopotamian lore 62, 143 

Metathiax 109 

Metatron 118 

mezuzah, as amulet 11 

Michael 109, 184, 188, 265, 266 

Michaelis, Sebastian (grand 

inquisitor) 5-6 

Michel, Anneliese 55, 171-175 

Michel, Johann 219 

Mictantecutli 175 

Middle Eastern lore 144 

Mignon, Canon 99, 125-126, 149- 
150, 152 

milk, exorcism of 86 

Minds in Many Pieces (Allison) 
204 

Minor, Roddie 45, 48 

Mirabilia 1 (Phlegon of Tralles) 73 

Miracle of Laon 175-177, 176 

Miron, Bishop Charles 34 

mirror 177-178, 205, 255 

misophaes 206 

Mithraism, Abraxas in 2 

Moabite deities, Belphegor 27 

Modebel 109 

Modu 61 

Molitor, Simon 178 

Moloch 178, 178-179, 241 

monasticism 14 

money 179 

monotheism, evil in xiii 


Montespan, marquise de 30, 224 
Montgomery, Ruth 190 
Moonchild (Crowley) 45 
moonlets, as amulet 11 

Morax (Foraii, Forfax) 179 
More, George 232 

Morehouse, David 68 
Mormonism, Lucifer in 154 
Moses 2, 113, 229 

Mot 179-180 

Mottlingen Possession 180-181 


Moussant, Canon 125 

Muhammad, as exorcist 79 

Muller, Catherine Elise 236 
multiple personality disorder 204 
Murder 181 

Murmur 181 

Murray, Margaret A. 270-271 
mystéres 203 

mythology xiii, 17, 33, 230. See also 
specific lores 


N 


Naamah 182 

Naberius (Cerberus) 182 
Nancy Possession 182-183 
Nantes incubus 183 

National Psychological Institute 
268 

Native American lore 83 
Natural History (Pliny) 160 
natural magic 161, 162 

Nazis, in Hellboy 113 
necromancy, in Grand Grimoire 
102 

Nemesis 183 

Nephilim 57, 183-184, 243, 265 
Nestorian heresy 37 

Nettles, Bonnie 212 

Netzach 140 

Neubeck, Kaspar 262 

Neuberg, Victor 39-41, 47-48 
New Age, and possessions 121 
New England Anomalies Research 
135 

New England Society for Psychic 
Research 264 

New Isis Lodge 244 

New York Sunday News 8 
Nicodemus, Gospel of 25 

night, vulnerability during 59 
Night of the Demon (film) 63 
Nine Satanic Sins 226 

Nine Satanic Statements 226 
Ninety-five Theses 156 

Ninurta 18 

Nisroc 184 

Niyaz 20, 184 

Norse lore 110 

North Berwick witches 123-124 
notarikon 136 

numerology, in Mithraicism 2 


296 The Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology 


O 


Obry, Marguerite 240 

Obry, Nicole 26, 175-177, 176 

obsession 58, 185, 204, 250. See 
also Doris Fischer Obsession; 
Thompson/Gifford Obsession 

Obyzouth 185-186 

occultism 9, 44, 159 

Occult Philosophy (Agrippa) 102, 
137 

occult revival 31, 104, 161-162 

Odes of Solomon 241 

Odous 104-105 

Oesterreich, Traugott Konstantin 
164, 186 

O’Hara, Father Charles 248 

Ohrmazd. See Ahura Mazda 

Ojibwa 162 

Okonowicz, Ed 198 

Oliver B. 178 

Omen, The (novel and film) 186- 
187, 187 

One Thousand and One Nights 94 

On the Incarnation of the Lord 
(Cassian) 37 

Onoskelis 187-188 

On the Sacred Disease (Hippocrates) 
204 

On the Work of Demons (Psellus) 
206-207 

oppression 54, 188, 200 

oracles 16 

Oray. See Lerajie 

Order of the Nine Angles 32 

Ordo Templi Orientis 47, 48, 270 

orgies, in Black Masses 32 

Orias 188 

Origen 17, 58, 76, 121, 223 

original sin, and Islam 63 

orishas 202-203 

Ormazd. See Ahura Mazda 

Ornias 87, 188 

Orobas 189 

Oropel 109 

Osborne, Sarah 220 

Ose 189 

Otis. See Botis 

Ouija™ 81, 121, 189-191, 248, 
264, 276 

ouroboros 230 

Ourouel 109 


out-of-body experience 115 
Ouza. See Uzza 
overlooking 74-75 


P 


pacts 192-196, 193 
in Aix-en-Provence Possessions 
6 
of Aueiran 20 
Baalberith in 22 
Berith in 28 
black books and 29 
blood used in 33 
breaking 195-196 
characteristics of 193-194 
in Devil’s book 65 
for Devil’s bridges 66 
Devil’s mark in 66 
of Faust 89-91 
in Grand Grimoire 154-156 
of Grandier 19-20, 151, 151 
of Haizmann 107-108 
in legend 192-193 
of loogaroo 148 
in Loudun Possessions 19-20, 
126-127, 151, 151 
in Luciferian Witchcraft 271 
of Lucifuge Rofocale 102, 
154-156 
Luther on 157 
in magic 195 
of Maillot 165 
Malleus Maleficarum on 166 
of Mary of Nemegen 169 
Menghi on 170-171 
offered to Jesus 129 
in possession 193-195 
Remy on 209-210 
in satanism 195 
Scot on 228 
Sinistrari on 234 
of Theophilus 255 
of Tregeagle 258 
Weyer on 268 
in witchcraft 170-171, 193- 
195 
Padiel 196 
paganism xiii, 96, 216-217, 219, 
223. See also Witchcraft 
Paimon 196 
Pairikas 196 


palis 196 

Palmer, Matthew 232 

Pamersiel 196, 196 

Paracelsus 102, 103, 179 

Paranormal Research Society of New 
England 275 

Parker Brothers 190 

Parris, Elizabeth 219-220 

Parris, Samuel 219—220 

Parsis 279 

Pascarella, Mary 8 

patience 232 

Patrick, St. 62 

Paul (saint), as exorcist 76 

Pausanias 74 

Payer-Thurn, Rudolf 108 

Pazuzu 81, 144, 197 

Pearce-Higgins, Canon John D. 79, 
197 

Peasants’ War 156 

Peck, M. Scott 204 

Pecoraro, Father 8 

penance possession 174 

Pentecost 201 

Pentecostal Christianity 53-54, 81, 
201 

People of the Lie (Peck) 204 

Persephone 41 

Persian lore 18, 21, 56, 70, 196, 
254. See also Zoroastrianism 

Peter of Abano 103 

Philostratus, on empousai 73 

Phips, Sir William 220-221 

Phlegon of Tralles 73 

Phobothel 109 

Phoenician lore 179 

Phoenix (Phenix, Pheynix) 197 

Phouneiel 109 

Picard, Mathurin 152-153 

pigs, demons sent into 130, 199, 
201 

Pinene 265 

Piper, Leonora 115 

Pirichiel 197 

Pithom 197 

Pithoy, Claude 182-183 

Pius X (pope) 131 

planchette 189 

planoi 197-198 

Platter, Thomas 146 

Pleinarcher, Elisabeth 262 

Plotinus 87 


Index 297 


pnigalion 119 
pomba giras 202 
poppets 162 
possessed possessions (objects) 
121, 198, 276. See also infestation 
possession 198-205. See also 
specific cases 
Amorth on 9 
of animals 201 
by Apocalypse archetype 212 
apples in 17 
by Asmodeus 18 
by Beelzebub 26 
Blai’s work on 32 
of Bruners 34-35 
in changelings 86 
of Cole 42 
contemporary xiv-xv 
cross and 12 
by daimones 51 
deliverance from 54 
demon activities in 59-60 
by demons 198-200, 201 
demon’s “legal right” to 54 
determination of 34, 77, 127, 
150, 200, 212 
Devil and 63 
by djinn 68, 201 
by dybbukim 70 
in The Exorcist 81-83 
by fairies 85, 86 
by Holy Ghost 201 
by huli jing 114 
in human history xiv—xv 
incubiin 119 
James VI and I on 124 
by kitsune 141 
of Marie des Vallees 167-168 
of “Marta” 91 
Menghi on 171 
of Michel (Anneliese) 171- 
174 
in Miracle of Laon 175-177 
from New Age 121 
Origen on 58 
pacts in 193-195 
Pearce-Higgins on 197 
penance possession 174 
possessed 198 
in Prince of Darkness 205 
by spirits 115-116, 197, 202- 
204, 236-237 


of Surin 250-251 
symptoms of 55, 200 
by tengu 255 
Weyer on 268 
Zaffis’s work with 275-276 
by zar 277 
Possession: Demoniacal & Other 
(Oesterreich) 186 
Povoit, Dr. 182 
Power 109 
Practical Kabbalah 136, 137, 160 
practical magic. See composite 
magic 
prayer, in deliverance 54 
praying mantis 66 
predestination 157 
pregnancy, and incubi 119-120 
preterists 210 
pretos velhos 202 
Prevotte, Catharina 218 
pride 231 
Prince, Dr. W. Franklin 69 
Prince of Darkness 205 
Prince of Darkness (film) 205 
Procel (Crocell, Pucel) 205-206 
Processus Sathane 169, 206 
Protestantism 23, 53-54, 76, 150, 
156 
Protestant Reformation xiv, 156, 
270 
Psalms of Solomon 241 
Psellus, Michael 206-207 
pseudepigrapha. See Enoch, Books 
of; Jubilees; Life of Adam and Eve, 
The; Testament of Solomon 
Pseudomonarchia Daemonum 
(Weyer) 101, 103, 267 
psychic vampire 47 
Psychic Warrior (Morehouse) 68 
psychoid unconscious 132 
Pucel. See Procel 
Putnam, Ann, Jr. 219-221 


Q 


Qabalah. See Kabbalah 
Quebecois folklore 158 

Queen of Sheba, Lilith as 147 
Quimbanda 202 

Qumran texts 27, 184, 222, 266 
Qur'an. See Islam 


R 


Raarideris 109 
rabisu 208 
Raguel 266 
Raiouoth 109 
Rais, Gilles de. See Gilles de Rais 
rakshasas 208 
Rama 209 
Ranfaing, Elizabeth de 182-183 
Rangier, Pierre 125 
Raphael 109, 266 
Raum (Raym) 208 
Ravana 208-209 
Raysiel 209 
Raziel 241, 260 
Red Dragon 96, 105 
Regina Apostolorum Pontifical 
Athenaenum 81 
Regino of Prum 216 
Reiche, E. C. 189 
relics 12, 161 
religion, evil in xiii 
religious altered states of 
consciousness (RASC) 55, 201 
Remedies for the Eight Deadly Sins 
(Cassian) 37 
Remy, Nicholas (Remigius) 209- 
210 
on bells 10 
on demons’ form 58-59 
on Devil’s marks 66 
on false riches 179 
on incubi 119 
on incubus children 120 
on lightning 146 
on Maillot 165 
on marriage to demons 60 
on pacts 193 
on sabbats 218-219 
on succubi 249 
Renz, Father Arnold 173-174 
Resses, Father 128 
Return of Frank R. Stockton, The (De 
Camp) 116 
Revelation 210, 210-212, 211, 236 
Rhine, J. B. and Louisa 249 
Rhyx Achoneoth 110 
Rhyx Alath 109 
Rhyx Aleureth 110 
Rhyx Anatreth 109 
Rhyx Anoster 109-110 


298 The Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology 


Rhyx Atonme 109 
Rhyx Audameoth 109 
Rhyx Autoth 110 
Rhyx Axesbuth 109 
Rhyx Hapax 109 
Rhyx Ichthuon 110 
Rhyx Manthado 109 
Rhyx Mianeth 110 
Rhyx Phtheneoth 110 
Rhyx Physikoreth 110 
Rhyx the Enautha 109 
Riesinger, Father Theophilus 17, 
71-72 
Riley, Alberta 8 
Rimmon 212 
Rinkman, Mary Alice 239 
Ritchie, Ida. See Rogers, Ida Marie 
Ritter, Archbishop Joseph E. 248 
Rituale Romanum 10, 76, 77, 199— 
200, 212-213 
ritual magic. See ceremonial magic 
Rivail, Hippolyte-Léon-Denizard 
203-204 
Rivalitas 183 
Rix Nathotho 109 
Rizoel 109 
Rizzio, David 123 
Roberts, Jane 190 
Roche Rock 213, 258 
Rodewyk, Father Adolf 172 
Rogers, Ida Marie 116 
Roman Catholic Church 
Antichrist in 17 
baptism in 23 
Blai’s work with 32 
on charms 39 
exorcism rite of 75, 76-78. See 
also Rituale Romanum 
exorcists in 10, 80-81 
International Association of 
Exorcists of 121 
Luther and 156 
Santeria and 203 
umbanda and 202 
vodun and 203 
Roman lore 
amulets in 49 
blood in 33 
chthonic deities of 41 
curses in 48-49 
in evolution of Devil 62 


familiars in 87 

geniiin 94 

larvae in 144 

magic of 160 

Nemesis in 183 
Romillon, Father Jean-Baptiste 5 
Ronove (Roneve, Ronobe) 213 
rooster, in Abraxas’s form 2 
Rosemary’ Baby (novel and film) 

213-215, 214, 226 

Roth, Father 172-173 
Roth, Richard 174 
Rowling, J. K. 9 
Ruax 109 
running water, as amulet 11 


S 


Sabael 109 
sabbat 216-219, 217 
baptism in 24 
Beelzebub in 25 
Black Mass in 29, 31 
Devil’s Missal in 66-67 
incubi at 120 
Malleus Maleficarum on 166 
in pacts 193 
Remy on 209-210 
Sinistrari on 234 
in The Witches of Eastwick 271 
Sabnack (Sabanack, Sabnach, 
Salmac) 219 
Sacred Magic of Abra-Melin the Mage, 
The 44-45 
sacrifices 32-33, 255. See also Black 
Mass 
Saducismus Triumphatus (Glanvil) 
64 
Sains, Sister Marie de 6, 217 
Saint. See St. 
Salem witchcraft hysteria 124, 218, 
219-221, 270 
Saleos 221 
Salesians 131-135 
salt 10-11, 12 
Samael (Sammael) 3, 138, 147, 
221-222 
Samhain, bell ringing on 10 
Samuel, Agnes 257-258 
Samuel, Alice 257-258 
Samuel, John 257-258 


Santeria 203 
Saphthoreal 109 
Sariel (Sarakiel, Saraqael, Saraqel, 
Suruquel, Suriel, Uriel, Zerachiel) 
222, 266 
Satan 222-223, 223. See also Devil; 
Lucifer 
as anger demon 231-232 
Antichrist and 16-17 
Beelzebub and 25 
Belial as 27 
as evil xiii 
Jesus tempted by 129 
in Judaism 56-57, 62-63 
Lucifer as 154 
Mastema as 169 
as Prince of Darkness 205 
as serpent 229 
Swedenborg on 252-253 
Satanael (Satanail) 86, 224 
satanism (Satanism) 224-227 
Baphomet as symbol of 23 
Black Mass in 32 
grottos in 105 
in Hell-Fire Club 113-114 
modern 225-227 
in occult revival 31 
pacts in 195 
Saul, possession of 198 
Sazilly, Claire de 150 
scapegoat 20 
Scarlet Women 44, 45 
Scepter 227 
Scherer, Georg 262 
schizophrenia 204 
Schleiermacher, Daniel Ernst 223 
Schulze, Luther 248, 249 
scorpion-people 227 
Scot, Reginald 124, 227-228, 262, 
267 
Scottish lore 96 
Scox. See Shax 
screaming skulls 49 
seal 228 
Secretain, Francoise 164-165 
Secret Commonwealth, The (Kirk) 
85 
Secrets of Secrets, The. See True Black 
Magic 
sedim 21 
Seere 228-229 


Index 299 


Sej 70 
semen, and incubi 119-120 
semiprecious stones, as amulets 49 
Semite lore 212 
Semyaza (Semiaza, Semjaza, 
Shemhazi, Shamayza, Shemyaza) 
184, 229. See also Uzza 
Separ. See Vepar 
sephirot 3, 56, 138, 139-140 
Seraphica 150 
seraphim 229 
Serenus, Abbot 37 
serpent 2, 21, 41, 221, 229-231 
Set (deity), and Devil 62 
Seven Deadly Sins 18, 27, 231, 
231-232 
Seven in Lancashire Possessions 53, 
232 
sex 
in Aix-en-Provence Possessions 
5-6 
with demons 7, 26, 60, 119— 
121, 124, 138, 234-236, 
249-250 
familiars and 88 
in sabbats 216 
sex magic 40, 45, 48, 270 
sexuality 44, 45, 149, 150 
Shaddai 11 
shaitan. See shaytan 
Shamayza. See Semyaza 
Shamsiel 232-233 
shape shifting 
by Demon of Jedburgh 55 
by demons 58 
by Devil 63 
by fairies 85 
by kitsune 141-142 
by leyak 145 
by lidere 145 
by shaytan 233 
Shax (Chax, Scox) 233 
shayatin. See djinn 
Shaytan 117 
shaytan (mazikeen, shaitan, 
shedeem, shedim, sheytan) 63, 
233 
shedim 233 
Sheldon, Susannah 219-221 
Shemhazi. See Semyaza 
Shemyaza. See Semyaza 


Sheol 52,112 

sheytan. See shaytan 

sigils 228, 244 

Simeon bar Yohai 137 

Simonians 234 

Simon Magus 233-234 

simony 234 

sin, possession caused by 9 

Sinistrari, Lodovico Maria 234-236 

Sita 209 

Sitri 236 

Siva 209 

Six-six-six (666) 211, 236, 243 

sloth 232 

Sluagh 269 

Smith, Annie 61 

Smith, Helens 236-237 

Smurl, Jack and Janet 237-239 

Smurl Haunting 170, 237-239, 
264 

snake. See serpent 

sneezing 239 

sobriety 231 

Society for Psychical Research (SPR) 
115 

Society of St. Francis de Sales 131- 
135 

Soissons Possessions 239-240 

Solas (Stolas) 240 

Soleviel 240 

Solomon 56, 67, 100, 160, 240- 
243, 244, 246. See also aerial 
spirits of Solomon; Lemegeton; 
spirits of Solomon; Testament of 
Solomon; True Black Magic 

Solomon's Temple. See Temple of 
Jerusalem 

Sommers, William 53 

Sonnillon 5 

Sons of God 119, 183, 243, 265 

Sorath 243 

sorcery 1-2, 20, 160, 243-244. See 
also witchcraft 

Sotterranei 170 

Soubelti 109 

soul 198, 239, 274 

Soule, Minnie 69, 115, 116, 256 

Spanish Kabbalah 137 

Spare, Austin Osman 244-245 

spells 11, 32-33, 64, 162, 243- 
244 


Spenta Mainyu 4 

Sphandor 109 

Sphendonael 109 

Spies, Johann 89 

spiritism 202, 203-204 

Spirit of Orléans 245 

spirit possession 79, 115-116, 
202-204 

“Spirits Chains, The” 49 

spirits of Solomon 244, 246. See 
also specific spirits 

spiritual exorcism 79 

spiritualism 203 

Sprenger, James 166 

squdilatc 189 

Sraosha 4 

Stangl, Bishop 172-173 

Stanton Drew 246 

Starkie, Ann 232 

Starkie, John 232 

Starkie, Nicholas 232 

Stead, W. T. 115 

Stearne, John 63 

Steiger, Father E Joseph 71-72 

Steiner, Rudolf 5, 243, 246-247 

St. Louis Exorcism 247-249. See 
also Exorcist, The 

Stockton, Frank R. 116 

Stolas. See Solas 

stone monoliths 65 

Strife 109 

Stuart, Henry, Lord Darnley 123 

succubus 60, 88, 146, 235-236, 
238, 249-250 

sufficiency 231 

Sufi lore 117 

Sumerian lore 18, 93-94, 169 

Summerland 203 

Summers, Montague 23, 30, 121, 
228 

superstition, about salt 11 

Surafal (Surafel) 184, 265 

Suriel. See Sariel 

Surin, Jean-Joseph 127-128, 152, 
250-251 

Suruel 266 

Suruquel. See Sariel 

Swedenborg, Emanuel 113, 251- 
253 

Swedenborg Society 252 

Sydonay. See Asmodeus 


300 The Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology 


sylvan 119 

symbolic school 211 

Symiel 253 

sympathetic magic 32-33, 160, 
162, 180 

Syrian lore 24, 117, 212 


T 


Tabellae defixonium 48-49 
talisman 104-105, 254 
talking board. See Ouija™ 
Taoism, blood in 33 
Tap. See Gaap 
Tarot, in The Black Pullet 104 
Tarr Steps 66 
Tartarus 110 
Taru (Tauru) 254 
Tase 254-255 
Taxil, Leo 154 
tefillin, as amulet 11 
Temple of Jerusalem 240-241 
demons in construction of 
18-19, 25, 56, 67, 73-74, 
101-102, 109, 148, 188 
Temple of Set 227 
temurah 136 
tengu 255 
Terreo 170 
Tertullian 57 
Testament of Amram 27, 266 
Testament of Solomon 101-102, 
241-243 
Abesethibou in 2 
Asmodeus in 18-19 
Beelzebub in 25 
Belial in 27 
Enepsigos in 73 
Ephippas in 73 
Head of the Dragons in 108 
heavenly bodies in 108-110 
Kunopegos in 141 
Lion-Shaped Demon in 148 
Lix Tetrax in 148 
Murder in 181 
Obyzouth in 185-186 
Onoskelis in 187-188 
Ornias in 87, 188 
Scepter in 227 
Tetragrammaton 137 
Tezcatlipoca 255 


Thaber Tase 254 

Thanatos 41 

Thaye Tase 254 

Thelema 45, 47, 114, 161 

Theophilus 89, 192, 255 

Theophilus, Father. See Riesinger, 
Father Theophilus 

theoretical magic 161 

Theosophia Pneumatica 103 

Theosophical Society 246 

theurgia 160 

theurgy. See white magic 

Thomas Aquinas (saint) 27, 58, 
121, 192, 223, 231 

Thompson, Frederic L. 115, 256- 
257 

Thompson/Gifford Obsession 115, 
255-257 

Thoth Tarot 46 

thought-form vampire 47 

thoughts, origins of 37 

Throckmorton Possessions 257— 
258 

thwarting angels 109, 242-243, 
258 

Tinkerbell 86 

Tiphareth 140 

Tisiphone 41, 74 

Tituba 219-220 

Tobit 10, 18, 57 

Togarini, Belphegor 27 

tooth fairy 86 

torture 6, 11, 95, 99-100, 167, 194, 
195 

Toscraec 104 

Tourette’s syndrome 204 

Tragicall History of D. Faustus 
(Marlowe) 89, 89 

Tranquille, Father 99-100, 143, 
150 

Transcendental Magic 105 

transubstantiation 30, 175, 177 

Travold, Reverend Alphonsus 239 

Treasure of the Old Man of the 
Pyramids. See Black Pullet, The 

Treatise on Confessions by Evildoers 
and Witches (Binsfeld) 28-29 

Tree of Life 138-140. See also 
sephirot 

Tregeagle, Jan John) 69, 213, 258 

Treves (Triers) 28-29 


Trincant, Louis 98 
Trincant, Philippe 98, 149 
Trithemius, Johannes 171 
True Black Magic 104 
tsitsith, as amulet 11 
Tuatha de Danaan 84 
Typhon 38 

Tyrell, Anthony 61 
Tzitzimime 255, 258-259 


© a 


dai (Uda). See Autak 

dugg (utukku) 260 

kobach 260 

mbanda 202 

m Es Sibyan 260 

nilateral pacts 195 

nwritten Kabbalah 136 

pdike, John 271-272 

raeus 229 

riel (angel) 109, 258. See also Sariel 
riel (demon) 260 

rine, in Black Mass 29 

siel (Uziel, Uzziel) (angel) 260 
siel (demon) 260 

zza (Ouza, Semyaza, Uzzah) 260 


S 


COO e CCE CCS ce C 


y 


Valac 261, 261 
Valefor (Malaphar, Malephar) 261 
Valiente, Doreen 270 
vampire demons 
alguls 6 
alps 7 
Crowley’s contact with 47 
empousai 72-73 
huli jing 114 
loogaroo as 148 
tengu 255 
Xipe Totec 273 
Van Roo, Father William 248 
Vapula 261 
Vassago 261 
Vedic lore 229 
Veltis 261-262 
Venitiana del Rabina 102 
Vepar (Separ) 262 
Verin 5 
vexation 188, 200 


Index 301 


Vienna Possession 17, 262 
Vine 262 

Vintras, Eugene 225 
Virgil 38, 41 

Vishnu 209 

Vodun 202-203 

Vual 262 


W 


wafer. See Eucharist 
Waite, Arthur Edward 102, 103, 
105, 162 
Waldenses 218 
Walpole, Hugh 114 
Wardwell, Samuel 221 
Warren, Ed and Lorraine 263-265 
in Amityville haunting 7-8 
background of 263-264 
conjuring mirror and 178 
demonology work of 264-265 
investigations by 264 
Johnsons and 135 
on Ouija™ 190 
in Smurl haunting 237-239 
Zaffis and ix—x, 275 
Warren, Mary 219-221 
Watchers 57, 265-267, 266 
as Angels of Mastemoth 13 
Azazel as 20 
Baraqijal 24 
Belial as 27 
as fallen angels 86 
Nephilim and 183-184 
Satanail as 224 
Semyaza as 229 
Shamsiel as 233 
Sons of God as 243 
water 11, 12,19 
Weber, William 8 
Weisel, Elie 221 
Western Kabbalah 136, 161 
West Indies lore 148 
Weston, William 60-61 
Weyer, Johann 267, 267-268. See 
also Pseudomonarchia Daemonum 
on Amy 12 
on Asmodeus 19 
on Baalberith 22 
on Beleth 27 
on Belial 27 


on lamiae 144 
on legions 145 
on Malleus Maleficarum 167 
on Ose 189 
on pacts 195 
Scot and 228 
on sex with demons 121 
Wharton, Lord 113 
White, Betty, and Stewart Edward 
190 
Whitehead, Paul 113-114 
white magic 162 
White Spirit 163-164 
Wicca. See Witchcraft (religion) 
Wickland, Anna 268 
Wickland, Dr. Carl A. 79, 268 
Wild Hunt 42, 108, 216, 268-269 
Williams, Fid 61 
Williams, Sara 61 
Willot, Joachim 175 
Windswept House (Martin) 168 
Winged Dragon 269 
Wirth, Oswald 225 
Wisdom of Solomon 241 
Wishert, Jonet 96 
Wishmaster (film) 269 
witchcraft 269-271. See also 
familiar; Salem witchcraft 
hysteria 
Amorth on 9 
amulets against 10, 11 
apples in 17 
of Aueiran 20 
Beelzebub in 25-26 
Black Mass in 30, 31 
blood in 33 
demons’ aid in 59 
detection of 11 
Devil in 63 
Devil’s marks in 66 
djinn in 67 
execution for 167 
fairies in 85 
familiars in 87-88, 118 
Guazzo on 105-106 
incubi and 119-121 
James VI and I on 124 
Jedburgh witch 55 
ligature used in 146 
Luther on 157 
magicin 161 


pactsin 170-171, 193-195 
persecutions for xiv, 42-43, 
123-124, 166-167, 209-210, 
227-228 
in possessions 199 
in Aix-en-Provence 
Possessions 6 
in Goodwin Possessions 
96-97 
in Loudun Possessions 
149 
in Maillat Possession 
164-165 
in Marie des Vallees 
Possession 167-168 
in Nancy Possession 182 
in Throckmorton 
Possessions 257—258 
in Vienna Possession 
262 
in Rosemary’ Baby 214-215 
sabbats in 217-218 
sex with demons in 60 
Spare’s use of 244 
succubi and 249-250 
trials for 166-167 
Weyer's views on 267, 268 
in The Witches of Eastwick 
271-272 


Witchcraft (religion) 31, 219, 


270-271 


Witchcraft Act of 1593 258 
Witchcraft Act of 1604 88, 124, 


258 


Witches League of Public Awareness 


272 


Witches of Eastwick, The (novel and 


film) 271, 271-272 


Worst, The 109 
Wright, Katherine 53 


Xipe Totec 273 


Yacatecutli. See Tzitzimime 
yawning 274 

yazatas 278 

Yeqon 265 


302 The Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology 


Yesod 140 
Yetzirah 137, 138 
Younger Avesta, daevas in 51 


Z 


Zabulon 149 

Zaffis, John ix—x, 264-265, 275- 
276, 276 

Zagan 276 

zar 201,277 

Zarathustra 113, 277-278 

Zarika 254,277 

Zepar 277 

Zerachiel. See Sariel 

Zohak 4, 21 


Zohar 114, 119, 137, 147, 229, 
233 

Zoroastrianism 277-279 
Aeshma in 3-4 
Ahriman in 4-5 
Andrain 13 
Astovidotu in 20 
Autak in 20 
Azhi Dahaka in 21 
Azin 20 
Busyasta in 35 
Cesmak in 39 
daevas in 51 
Devil and 62 
Dregvant in 70 
Druj in 70 


druj in 70 
evil in 4-5, 278-279 
good forces in 278 
hell in 110-112 
Kundain 141 
Niyaz in 184 
Pairikas in 196 
practice of 279 
Taru in 254 
Zarika in 277 
Zotz 279 
Zurvan 4,278 
Zurvanism 20